Application of ATRP in the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers

Hyperbranched polymer is a new kind of polymer material with characteristics which is different from that of linear polymers. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), as a living and controllable method, is playing an important role in the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers. Under the Cu(I) catalyst system, ATRP can catalyze AB* monomer and produce hyperbranched polymers, while synthesize amphiphilic macromolecules with 'core-shell' or other special structures by using multifunctional macromolecules as the initiator. This paper introduced hyperbranched polymers with various structures synthesized by ATRP in recent years and forecasted the future development of the application of ATRP in the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers.