Nanoreactors for Polymerizations and Organic Reactions

The aim of this Perspective is to use the knowledge of the underpinning kinetic and thermodynamic precepts that govern free-radical and “living” radical water-based heterogeneous polymerizations and apply this to small molecule organic reactions in nanoreactors. The difficulty in applying “living” radical polymerization to water-based heterogeneous systems has led to such an understanding, including partitioning of agents between the phases, nucleation of particles, and other phenomena including superswelling. This knowledge has allowed us to prepare polymers in heterogeneous systems with well-defined molecular weight distributions and particle size distributions. However, to overcome the physical chemistry constraints, researchers had to develop complex nanoreactor systems. For the field of small molecule organic reactions in heterogeneous systems to be industrially relevant and to grow rapidly, such physical chemistry precepts should be more greatly developed.