Advanced Materials by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been successfully employed for the preparation of various advanced materials with controlled architecture. New catalysts with strongly enhanced activity permit more environmentally benign ATRP procedures using ppm levels of catalyst. Precise control over polymer composition, topology, and incorporation of site specific functionality enables synthesis of well‐defined gradient, block, comb copolymers, polymers with (hyper)branched structures including stars, densely grafted molecular brushes or networks, as well as inorganic–organic hybrid materials and bioconjugates. Examples of specific applications of functional materials include thermoplastic elastomers, nanostructured carbons, surfactants, dispersants, functionalized surfaces, and biorelated materials. Atom transfer radical polymerization is a successful procedure used for the preparation of various advanced materials. New Cu catalysts with very high activity used at ppm amounts provide precise control over polymer composition, topology, and functionality. They enable the synthesis of well‐defined functional copolymers with controlled branched structure, inorganic–organic hybrids, and bioconjugates. Potential applications include thermoplastic elastomers, nanocarbons, surfactants, dispersants, functionalized surfaces, and biomaterials.