The IUPAC-sponsored International Symposium on "Radical Polymerization: Kinetics and Mechanism" was held in Il Ciocco (Italia) during the week September 3-8, 2006. It was the fourth within the series of so-called SML conferences, which are the major scientific forum for addressing kinetic and mechanistic aspects of free-radical polymerization and of ontrolled radical polymerization. Top international authors like K. Matyjaszewski, T. P. Davis, T. Fukuda and others present their latest research. The five major themes covered were: Fundamentals of Free-Radical Polymerization, Heterogeneous Polymerization, Controlled Radical Polymerization, Polymer Reaction Engineering, and Polymer Characterization. SML IV again marked an important step forward toward the better understanding of the kinetics and mechanism of radical polymerization, which is extremely relevant for both conventional and controlled radical polymerization and for people in academia as well as in industry.

This book commences with a general introduction outlining the basic concepts of radical polymerization. This is followed by a chapter on radical reactions that is intended to lay the theoretical ground-work for the succeeding chapters on initiation, propagation and termination.

In the past 15 years, free-radical polymerization has undergone a dramatic revitalization. "Living polymerization," ATRP (atomic transfer radical polymerization) and RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer) polymerization have come to dominate research in this area. Powerful experimental and analytical techniques are now used to probe the basic kinetics and mechanisms of the processes involved. High degrees of control over physical and chemical properties have lead to more efficient polymer production and new products. The state of the art in all these areas was presented and discussed at the IUPAC-sponsored "International Symposium on Free-Radical Polymerization: Kinetics and Mechanism" (SML '01) held in IL Ciocco, Italy, in June 2001. This volume of Macromolecular Symposia presents an excellent overview of modern research in free-radical polymerization.

This book commences with a general introduction outlining the basic concepts of radical polymerization. This is followed by a chapter on radical reactions that is intended to lay the theoretical ground-work for the succeeding chapters on initiation, propagation and termination.