SET-LRP of acrylates catalyzed by a 1 penny copper coin

Abstract

© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016.A British 1 penny coin (1 p) was used to polymerize a selection of hydrophobic and hydrophilic acrylate monomers using linear and star shaped initiators to obtain polymers even in 50 gram scale with low dispersity values (D = 1.05-1.11). When compared with Cu wire systems, no induction period was observed, hence demonstrating an economic and easily accessible catalyst for SET-LRP acrylates.