Controlled radical polymerization in emulsion

The controlled radical polymerization technique applied in a heterogeneous system can be a valuable tool to control both the molar mass distribution (MMD) of polymers. To study the effect of the addition of the alkoxyamine on the MMD of an emulsion polymerization of styrene, the latex produced must have a uniform particle size distribution. To analyze the MMD of the polymer produced with gel permeation chromatography (GPC), 0.1 w/v% solutions in tetrahydrofuran (THF) were prepared of each sample which was isolated by freeze-drying. The current drawbacks of the controlled radical polymerization in emulsion of styrene are the higher amount of chain stopping reactions.