Degenerative Transfer with Alkyl Iodide

Degenerative transfer with alkyl iodides was one of the very first developed methods to perform reversible-deactivation radical polymerization. The richness of the iodine chemistry allows the use of different techniques for polymerization (e.g., thermal activation, photoactivation, redox reactions). Thus, we summarize herein the advances in iodine transfer polymerization, reverse iodine transfer polymerization, reversible chain transfer catalyzed polymerization, single electron transfer – degenerative transfer living radical polymerization, and other systems (e.g., metal catalyzed) where interplay can occur with degenerative chain transfer through iodo-compounds. The mechanisms, kinetics, range of monomers, processes (e.g., emulsion polymerization), architectures, and applications of polymers prepared by degenerative transfer with iodo-compounds are discussed.