Tech Spotlight: Method for Radical Polymerization of Unactivated Alkenes

A research team from the University of Colorado led by Dr. Josef Michl has discovered that certain salts of the lithium cation are soluble in non-polar solvents. These solutions catalyze the otherwise impossible radical polymerization of simple alkenes, such that it proceeds at ambient temperatures and pressure. The catalyst in this process is easily recovered at the end of the reaction and can be reused without detectable loss of activity.

Polyalkenes are used for several applications including making blown film, rash guards, or under-garments for wetsuits. The new method of catalysis developed in the Michl lab promises to reduce the cost and complexity of polyalkene synthesis for these and many other applications.

To read a non-confidential summary of this technology, including links to relevant patent documents, please click the image above. For more CU technologies available for licensing, please visit our Tech Explorer site.