Comprehensive control over molecular weight distributions through automated polymerizations

Abstract

The properties of polymeric materials are dependent on their chemical architecture and overall molecular weight distribution (MWD). Despite a plethora of research on controlled and living polymerization techniques to obtain narrow molecular weight distributions, there are only comparatively few direct methods to tune and manipulate the final shape and characteristics of a MWD. These methods are limited by restrictions in predicting the final MWDs, by tedious and intensive sample preparation or both. Using a predictive framework, we demonstrate how artificial MWDs can be conveniently synthesized with high accuracy and with minimal human intervention.