Precision polymer synthesis by controlled radical polymerization: Fusing the progress from polymer chemistry and reaction engineering

During the first 100 years of polymer science, controlled radical polymerization (also recommended as reversible deactivation radical polymerization) is undoubtedly a revolutionary discovery. Owing to the mild reaction conditions, the broad applicability, and the accessibility to produce well-defined functional polymers, controlled radical polymerization has gained a plethora of interest from both academia and industry. In this review, the efforts made by both polymer chemistry and reaction engineering communities to fully exploit the potential of controlled radical polymerization in precision polymer synthesis are retrospected. Highlights on how the synergetic experimental and modeling tools can offer the unique information on the mechanistic understanding, kinetic insights, and the chain microstructures tuning are provided. Future research directions in this area are also outlined. Hopefully, this review can stimulate future developments of controlled radical polymerizations in the next 100 years of polymer science.