One Decade of Microwave-Assisted Polymerizations: Quo vadis?

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 254 - 288
• Main Authors: Ebner, Clemens, Bodner, Thomas, Stelzer, Franz, Wiesbrock, Frank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 02.02.2011; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Chemistry - methods; Chemistry - trends; Evolution; Irradiation; microwave irradiation; Microwaves; Polymer matrix composites; polymeranalogous reactions; Polymerization; Polymerization - radiation effects; Polymers - chemical synthesis; Polymers - chemistry; radical polymerization; Radicals; ring-opening polymerization; step-growth polymerization; Trends
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.201000539

The application of microwave irradiation in polymer syntheses and modifications is of continuously growing interest and has received significant international interest since the beginning of the millennium. Preceded by a review that was published 6 years ago, the present paper summarizes the most recent trends in this research area. Radical as well as step‐growth and ring‐opening polymerizations will be addressed; furthermore, the evolution from microwave‐assisted polymerizations to microwave‐assisted material fabrication will be described on the examples of polymeranalogous reactions, polymer/metal composites and bio‐based materials. This paper summarizes the most recent trends in the research area of microwave‐assisted polymer synthesis, which continues to be an expanding field of research as indicated by the exponentially growing number of publications. Radical as well as step‐growth and ring‐opening polymerizations under microwave irradiation as well as the microwave‐assisted material fabrication and scale‐up in microwave reactors are addressed.