Applications of Fast, Facile, Radiation-Free Radical Polymerization Techniques Enabled by Room Temperature Alkylborane Chemistry.

Fast, robust, and scalable techniques for covalent materials assembly are shown to be enabled by variants of a simple mixing-induced free radical initiation scheme broadly termed room-temperature alkylborane (RTA) chemistry. Unique process versatility, speed of reaction, high conversion, and structural control at ambient conditions occur by exploiting air-stable alkylborane-amine complexes that rapidly initiate upon mixing with common amine-reactive decomplexing agents such as carboxylic acid compounds. Three diverse application examples are presented, illustrating facile ambient routes to covalent assembly varying in length scale: (1) copolymers with controllable pressure-sensitive adhesive properties, (2) hydrophilically modified silicone microparticles from heterophase reactions, and (3) UV-free inkjet printable materials suitable for thick-textured patterning and printing, all conducted in open air with no radiation or atmospheric control.