M. Buback*, M. Egorov, T. Junkers, E. Panchenko
Free-Radical Termination Kinetics Studied Using a Novel SP-PLP-ESR Technique
Macromol. Rapid Commun. 25, 1004-1009 (2004)


A novel method for measuring termination rate coefficients, kt, in free-radical polymerization is presented. A single laser pulse is used to instantaneously produce photoinitiator-derived radicals. During subsequent polymerization, radical concentration is monitored by time-resolved electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The size of the free radicals, which exhibits a narrow distribution increases linearly with time t, which allows the chain-length dependence of kt to be deduced. The method will be illustrated using dodecyl methacrylate polymerization as an example.