Aqueous RAFT polymerization of acrylamide: A convenient method for polyacrylamide with narrow molecular weight distribution

Controlled and homogeneous free-radical polymerization of acrylamide (AM) in aqueous phase was realized by using S,S′-bis(α,α′-dimethyl-α″-acetic acid)-trithiocarbonate as a reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) agent. Linear increases in molecular weight with conversion and narrow molecular weight distribution were observed for polyacrylamide (PAM) throughout the polymerization. By this method, PAMs with controlled molecular weight (up to 1.0 × 10⁶) and narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 1.2) were prepared. This study provides an effective method for synthesis of PAMs with narrow molecular weight distribution under environmentally friendly conditions.