"Living" radical polymerization of butyl methacrylate by a reverse atrp process

A new eflccient catalyst system(FeCl ₃/2PPh ₃) for the "living"/controlled radical polymerization of butyl methacrylate by a reverse ATRP process was reported in this paper. With the presence of this catalyst system, the number-average molecular weights of the obtained polymer increased in direct proportion with monomer conversion, and the MWDs (molecular weight disctributions) were narrow throughout the reactions(1.17 < M̄ _w/M̄ _n < 1.22). This reaction system did not include the conventional initiators which were used to generate the primary radicals.