Key advances within the past 10 years have transformed copper-mediated radical polymerization from a technique which was not very tolerant of protic media into a range of closely related processes capable of controlling the polymerization of a wide range of monomers in pure water at ppm catalyst loadings. This approach has afforded water-soluble macromolecules of desired molecular weight, architecture, and chemical functionality, with applications ranging from drug delivery to oil processing. In this Review we highlight and critically evaluate the synthetic methods that have been developed to control radical polymerization in water by using copper complexes as well as identify future areas of interest and challenges still to be overcome.
Keywords: aqueous synthesis; atom-transfer radical polymerization; controlled polymerization; water-soluble polymers.
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