Progress of Free Radical Polymerization in Recent Years

The progress of conventional radical polymerization and living/controlled radical polymerization is briefly reviewed. The conventional radical polymerization involves high active initiators, amine-containing redox initiation system and polyfunctional initiators. Living radical polymerization such as iniferters, and living/controlled radical polymerization such as nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP)/stable free radical polymerization (SFRP), transition metal-catalyzed radical polymerization or atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) including using C—C type compounds and S—S type compound as initiator, as well as the pseudo-halalogen transfer in normal and reverse ATRP, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization/macromolecular design via interchange of xanthate (MADIX) process, iodine transfer polymerization and organotellurium-or organostibine-mediated living radical polymerization (TERP or SBRP) are summarized.