%0 Journal Article %T Emulsifier‐free reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer emulsion polymerization of alkyl acrylates mediated by symmetrical trithiocarbonates based on poly(acrylic acid) %+ ITMO University [Russia] %+ Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux (IPREM) %A Serkhacheva, Natalia %A Prokopov, Nikolay %A Chernikova, Elena %A Kozhunova, Elena %A Lebedeva, Inna %A Borisov, Oleg, V. %Z Russian Foundation for Basic Research. Grant Numbers: 16‐53‐76007, 18‐33‐00386, 17‐03‐00131 %< avec comité de lecture %@ 0959-8103 %J Polymer international %I Wiley %V 68 %N 7 %P 1303-1314 %8 2019-06-04 %D 2019 %R 10.1002/pi.5817 %K polymerization‐induced self‐assembly %K reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer %K symmetrical trithiocarbonates %K amphiphilic block copolymers %K mean‐field theory %Z Chemical Sciences/Polymers %Z Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry %Z Chemical Sciences/Theoretical and/or physical chemistry %Z Chemical Sciences/Analytical chemistryJournal articles %X Emulsifier‐free batch emulsion polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate and its semi‐batch copolymerization with 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5‐octafluoropentyl acrylate and 2,2,3,4,4,4‐hexafluorobutyl acrylate both mediated by poly(acrylic acid) containing the trithiocarbonate group in the chain was employed to produce amphiphilic triblock copolymers. The polymerization‐induced self‐assembly of these copolymers in aqueous media gave rise to spherical core–shell particles. Irrespective of the experimental conditions, the polymeric product was characterized by a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The apparent violation of the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization mechanism may be attributed to restricted accessibility of the trithiocarbonate group in the self‐assembled block copolymers for propagating radicals that enter into the particle. Mean‐field theoretical arguments were employed to explain the exclusively spherical morphology of the particles observed in the experiment. © 2019 Society of Chemical IndustryOpen Research %G English %L hal-02319413 %U https://univ-pau.hal.science/hal-02319413 %~ CNRS %~ UNIV-PAU %~ IPREM %~ INC-CNRS %~ IPREM-PCM %~ TEST-HALCNRS %~ TEST2-HALCNRS