Use of spin traps to measure the addition and fragmentation rate coefficients of small molecule RAFT-adduct radicals

Abstract

Spin traps have been used to obtain the first direct experimental determination of the addition (5 × 10⁶ L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹), fragmentation (8 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹) and self-termination (6.5 × 10² L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) rate coefficients in RAFT polymerization using the interaction of a tert-butyl radical with tert-butyl dithiobenzoate at ambient temperature as a model reaction.