Dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene™) as a bio-renewable solvent for Cu(0)wire-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) without external deoxygenation

Biorenewable dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene™) is used as an effective dipolar aprotic solvent for Cu(0) wire-mediated RDRP of various monomers without external deoxygenation being applied. The solvent is used to give products with a broad range of molar masses (Mn ∼ 700–28 000), in situ chain extension and as low as 7.8 × 10−4 eq. of [Cu(II)Br2] relative to initiator.