P3R team
Created in 2007, the “Precision polymers by radical processes” group (P3R) is composed of organic and polymer chemists who develop original polymer materials using radical chemistry.
P3R has a longstanding experience in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. This includes the study of the structure-reactivity relationship of original classes of RAFT agents, RAFT control of “tricky” monomers, and the synthesis of functional block copolymers with targeted properties.
In recent years, we made a clear shift in the way we design our polymers towards materials of enhanced sustainability. For instance, new methodologies for making (chemically) degradable polymers by radical ring-opening copolymerization have been successfully developed.
Another recent strategic area is the design of dynamic polymer materials, in particular nanostructured vitrimers and carbon-fiber reinforced vitrimer materials for the aerospace sector.
We attach particular attention to the exploitation of our research results through a large number of patent applications with some examples of commercial success in collaboration with industrial partners.
Research topics
Pushing back the boundaries of RAFT polymerisation
Radical polymerisation for degradable polymers
Dynamic polymer materials
Team members
permanent members
temporary members on average per year
Research engineer
Team publications
This list of publications is uploaded directly from the P3R team’s HAL collection.
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- L. Kunitskaya, T. Zheltonozhskaya, Mathias Destarac, Stéphane Mazières. Block copolymers containing polyacrylamide and polyacrylic acid: Bulk structure and hydrogen bonds system. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 2017, 642 (1), pp.89-98. ⟨10.1080/15421406.2016.1255522⟩. ⟨hal-02194480⟩
- Roberto Yañez-Macias, Ihor Kulai, Jens Ulbrich, Turgay Yildirim, Pelin Sungur, et al.. Thermosensitive spontaneous gradient copolymers with block- and gradient-like features. Polymer Chemistry, 2017, 8 (34), pp.5023-5032. ⟨10.1039/C7PY00495H⟩. ⟨hal-02194983⟩
- Lucie Seiler, Julien Loiseau, Frédéric Leising, Pascal Boustingorry, Simon Harrisson, et al.. Acceleration and improved control of aqueous RAFT/MADIX polymerization of vinylphosphonic acid in the presence of alkali hydroxides. Polymer Chemistry, 2017, 8 (25), pp.3825-3832. ⟨10.1039/C7PY00747G⟩. ⟨hal-02194986⟩
- Kyle Sykes, Simon Harrisson, Daniel Keddie. Phosphorus-Containing Gradient (Block) Copolymers via RAFT Polymerization and Postpolymerization Modification. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 217 (20), pp.2310-2320. ⟨10.1002/macp.201600087⟩. ⟨hal-02195518⟩
- Assya Boujemaoui, Stéphane Mazières, Eva Malmstrom, Mathias Destarac, Anna Carlmark. SI-RAFT/MADIX polymerization of vinyl acetate on cellulose nanocrystals for nanocomposite applications. Polymer, 2016, 99, pp.240-249. ⟨10.1016/j.polymer.2016.07.013⟩. ⟨hal-02195540⟩
- Guillaume Gody, Per Zetterlund, Per Perrier, Simon Harrisson. The limits of precision monomer placement in chain growth polymerization. Nature Communications, 2016, 7 (1), ⟨10.1038/ncomms10514⟩. ⟨hal-02194892⟩
- Etienne Girard, Thierry Tassaing, Jean-Daniel Marty, Mathias Destarac. Structure–Property Relationships in CO 2 -philic (Co)polymers: Phase Behavior, Self-Assembly, and Stabilization of Water/CO 2 Emulsions. Chemical Reviews, 2016, 116 (7), pp.4125-4169. ⟨10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00420⟩. ⟨hal-02195696⟩
- Joel J Thevarajah, Adam T Sutton, Alison R Maniego, Elizabeth G Whitty, Simon Harrisson, et al.. Quantifying the heterogeneity of chemical structures in complex charged polymers through the dispersity of their distributions of electrophoretic mobilities or of compositions. Analytical Chemistry, 2016, 88 (3), pp.1674-1681. ⟨10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03672⟩. ⟨hal-04036459⟩
- Joel Thevarajah, Adam Sutton, Alison Maniego, Elizabeth Whitty, Simon Harrisson, et al.. Quantifying the Heterogeneity of Chemical Structures in Complex Charged Polymers through the Dispersity of Their Distributions of Electrophoretic Mobilities or of Compositions. Analytical Chemistry, 2016, 88 (3), pp.1674-1681. ⟨10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03672⟩. ⟨hal-02194460⟩
- H. Nguyen, M. El Ezzi, Christophe Mingotaud, Mathias Destarac, Jean-Daniel Marty, et al.. Doubly thermo-responsive copolymers in ionic liquid. Soft Matter, 2016, 12 (13), pp.3246-3251. ⟨10.1039/C5SM03063C⟩. ⟨hal-02195652⟩
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Latest team news
Marc Guerre, researcher at Softmat, received the GFP Young Researcher Award 2024
At the end of November 2024, during the annual national symposium, the GFP Young Researcher 2024 Prize was awarded to Marc Guerre, a researcher in the P3R team. The Groupe Français d'Études et...
Solène Guggari, PhD student at Softmat, defended her thesis on biobased disulfide vitrimers for industrial applications
Solène carried out her research in the P3R team at the Softmat laboratory, in close collaboration with Specific Polymers company. On 22nd of November, she defended her thesis entitled: "Synthesis...
Ukrainian delegation visited Softmat lab
Dymytrii Grytsyshen, vice-rector, and Anna Polianska, Erasmus + coordinator at Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, were welcomed to Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University on 18 June 2024. They...