RAFT polymerization of alternating styrene-pentafluorostyrene copolymers

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization was used to control the alternating copolymerization of styrene and 2,3,4,5,6-pentaflurostyrene. The RAFT polymerization yields a high degree of control over the molecular weight of the polymers and does not significantly influence the reactivity ratios of the monomers. The controlled free-radical polymerization could be initiated using AIBN at elevated temperatures or using a redox couple (benzoyl peroxide/N,N-dimethylaniline) at room temperature, while maintaining control over molecular weight and dispersity. The influence of temperature and solvent on the molecular weight distribution and reactivity ratios were investigated.