RAFT Agent Design and Synthesis

This Perspective reviews the design and synthesis of RAFT agents. First, we briefly detail the basic design features that should be considered when selecting a RAFT agent or macro-RAFT agent for a given polymerization and set of reaction conditions. The RAFT agent should be chosen to have an optimal Ctr (in most circumstances higher is better) while at the same time it should exhibit minimal likelihood for retarding polymerization or undergoing side reactions. The RAFT agent should also have appropriate solubility in the reaction medium and possess the requisite end-group functionality for the intended application. In this light we critically evaluate the various methods that have been used for RAFT agent…