"Living" radical polymerization. 1. Possibilities and limitations

: Possibility of the synthesis of well-defined polymers by radical polymerization is discussed. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that the preparation of polymers with controlled macromolecular structure in a 'living' radical process requires low stationary concentration of growing radicals which are in a dynamic equilibrium with dormant species. Three approaches are described. First, when growing radicals react reversibly with scavenging radicals to form covalent species, second when growing radicals react reversibly with covalent species to produce persistent radicals and the third in which growing radicals participate in the degenerative transfer reaction which regenerates the same type of radicals. Some of the reported 'living' radical systems are critically evaluated.