Rate retardation in Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization occurs when the reaction rate in the RAFT polymerization is observed to be measurably lower when higher concentrations of chain transfer agent (CTA) are employed. A deviation from the conventional radical polymerization kinetic. Some of the factors that might be responsible for the downward trend in polymerization rate are poor choice of CTA, cross termination of intermediate radical, relatively short propagating chains.  Inspite of these, other causes of a retarding reaction rate, an obvious pattern is observed in some polymerization systems. Rate retardation is being studied using high and low active CTA. The high active CTA, trithiocarbonates is applied in Methyl Acrylate, Methyl methacryalte, styrene, dimethyl acylamide, vinyl ketone, N-Vinyl Carbazole monomeric systems. While the low active CTA, CiPEX is being applied in the N-vinyl Carbazole, dimethyl acrylamide, methyl acrylate monomeric systems; EtPAX is applied in vinyl acetate and N-vinyl pyrrolidone monomeric systems. Some of the monomeric systems are observed to show substantially reduced rate with higher CTA concentrations than others. This observed trend has the potential of creating a new classification of monomers.

Rate retardation trends in monomer systems; an emerging monomer classification tool?

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