Radical polymerization of radical-labeled monomers: The triarylmethyl-based radical monomer as an example

Recent development of spin-labeled nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) involving successful polymer preparation with high livingness and narrow dispersity in the presence of persistent trityl-based stable radicals attached to the initiators (90% recovery of a trityl radical signal after the polymerization) led us to the preparation of stable organic radical polymers based on trityl radical-substituted monomers using NMP as the method of polymerization despite the claims in the literature about its expected failure. Here, we present successful radical polymerization and NMP of a trityl radical-based tri- and mono-monomer yielding more than 90% recovery of the trityl radical signal.