Lewis Pair RAFT Polymerization of Methacrylates on-Water: Evidence of Radical Propagation Mechanism

Abstract The Lewis pair (LP) composed of PPh3 and Cu(OTf)2 on-water is a newly emerging catalytic system for polymerization of polar vinyl monomers. Herein, we report the additive effect of the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents on the polymerization of six methacrylate monomers with various hydrophilicities. The polymerization control by the RAFT agents proved that this LP polymerization involves a radical propagating mechanism.