Polymers Means to control radical polymerization

Good evening!

I agree with you that this is a very active and diverse method of polymer synthesis. When radical polymerization is required, it must be started using a radical initiator, such as peroxide (tert-butyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide)or some azo compounds (azobisisobutyronitrile). By using small amounts of initiators, a wide range of monomers can be polymerized.

Another type of initiation is photolysis. This method is most often used with metal iodides, metal alkyls and azo compounds.

Good day! Are any antioxidants used in these polymerization processes?

Good evening!

Yes, inhibitory antioxidants are used mainly in the presence of oxygen: hydroquinone, pyrocatechin derivatives, etc.

@damiryagudin Thank you for such thoughtful answers:3 I was wondering if inhibitors bare any kind of selectivity?

Posted by: @damiryagudin

Good evening!

Yes, inhibitory antioxidants are used mainly in the presence of oxygen: hydroquinone, pyrocatechin derivatives, etc.

Thank you!

I don't think so, @elizavetasovdagarova. Selectivity refers to the ability to accelerate one of the possible reaction paths, if it can proceed in different directions with the formation of different products, and inhibitors are substances that can inhibit oxidation. It turns out that there is a discrepancy. For an inhibitor, the quantitative assessment is the inhibition coefficient. But here we are talking about the rate of metal corrosion in the medium. In the case of oxidation inhibitors (antioxidants), as far as I know, there is no such characteristic.

@damiryagudin Thank you!