Sonochemical Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization: Harnessing Sonochemistry for Polymer Synthesis

In polymer science, mechanochemistry is emerging as a powerful tool for materials science and molecular synthesis, offering novel avenues for controlled polymerization and post-synthetic modification. Building upon the previous research, nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) is merged with mechanochemistry through the design of nitroxide-based mechanophore macroinitiators, pioneering the first instance of a sonochemical nitroxide-mediated-type polymerization. As NMP usually requires high temperatures, this study demonstrates that a sonochemical NMP-type process allows polymerization under reduced temperatures down to 55 degrees C. Moreover, depending on the nature of the employed monomers, gelated networks are obtained, demonstrating the adaptability of the mechanophore system. This study elucidates the potential of mechanochemistry in polymer synthesis, offering insights into manipulating polymerization kinetics and advancing materials science applications.