Charging Ahead With Living Polymerization (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Charging Ahead With Living Polymerization

Caption

eATRP enables the controlled synthesis of polymers through a computer controlled and battery powered polymerization process. This process can be manipulated in real time by modulation of an electrical current or applied voltage to alter a polymerization catalyst. Modulation of the applied voltage allows enhanced or slowed polymerization rates, and real time toggling of an active polymerization “on” or “off.” Polymerization control can be accomplished without environmentally less friendly reducing agents and at part-per-million catalyst concentrations. This image relates to an article that appeared in the April 1, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Andrew Magenau of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and colleagues was titled, "Electrochemically Mediated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization."

Credit

Magenau and Matyjaszewski (Carnegie Mellon University)

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