Correlation between polydispersities of molecular weight distribution and particle size distribution in RAFT Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene

Abstract

The polydispersities of molecular weight distribution and particle size distribution are found to be strongly correlated with each other and to be dramatically increased as the initiator concentrations are reduced in the RAFT emulsion polymerizations. The mechanism underlying this is the particle activation/deactivation process between particles with and without a radical—similar to reactions between propagating radicals and polymeric dormant chains in homogeneous RAFT polymerization.