Strategies for Achieving Oxygen Tolerance in Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) is a popular method for the synthesis of well-defined macromolecules, but its sensitivity to oxygen is a major limitation for many industrial applications. Recent research has focused on developing strategies to confer oxygen tolerance onto RAFT polymerization, eliminating the need for deoxygenation steps and allowing for simpler reaction conditions. This minireview highlights several promising approaches to achieve oxygen tolerance in RAFT polymerization, including enzyme-mediated, alkylborane-initiated, and photomediated methods. The potential applications of oxygen-tolerant RAFT polymerization are also discussed, demonstrating the promise for significant advances in large-scale industrial polymer synthesis.