Modeling molecular weight distribution and effect of termination in controlled radical polymerization: A novel and transformative approach

A theory for polymer molecular weight distribution (MWD) in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been derived by using analogy to a series of continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). This approach relates one activation cycle in ATRP to one reactor in CSTRs. The derived MWD expression includes effect of radical termination and allows detailed investigation on the factors that determine the polymer distribution, namely the level of …