The scale-up of electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization without deoxygenation

The scale-up of Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) from 15 mL to L (scale-up factor 1000) by galvanostatic simplified electrochemically mediated ATRP (seATRP) is disclosed. An electrochemical O2 scavenging cycle was embedded in the equilibrium allow self-degassing mixture and avoid impractical deoxygenation procedures. Low volume seATRP acrylamide water optimized studying various reaction parameters, including concentrations scavenger, supporting electrolyte, type initiator ligand, catalyst loading. target scaled up 0.015 L. At all volumes L, polymerizations were relatively fast produced well-defined polyacrylamide with narrow molecular weight (MW) distributions. All reactions powered renewable electricity, obtained a photovoltaic plant. Several water-soluble monomers, (meth)acrylic acid methacrylamide, polymerized at pH ranging 1.0 7.4, without compromising mechanism. These results show feasible could foster its adoption polymer industries promoting more widespread use controlled radical polymerizations.