Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich has the rights to manufacture and sell the RAFT agents worldwide for all research and development applications. The RAFT agents are the latest addition to Sigma-Aldrich’s growing line of polymer science products sold through its Aldrich Materials Science Initiative.
RAFT technology is a living radical polymerization process and a powerful method for the synthesis of tailor-made polymers with predetermined molecular weights and highly complex architectures. Such designer polymers can be used to prepare materials with unique properties controlled by their nanometer scale molecular architecture in industries such as biomedical, specialty chemical and personal care.
The RAFT method is applicable to a wide range of monomers and experimental conditions and its utility is reflected in more than 200 patents related to RAFT technology. Sigma-Aldrich will manufacture and distribute the critical components of RAFT polymerization, RAFT agents, to enable companies and research organizations to undertake further research into this groundbreaking technology.
Dr Ilya Koltover, market segment manager of Aldrich Materials Science, said: “Commercial availability of RAFT agents is a critical requirement toward making RAFT polymerization accessible to the wider community of materials researchers.
“We have successfully scaled up synthesis of RAFT agents and are pleased to offer a selection that is expected to enable researchers to explore a variety of experimental conditions without having to go through the trouble of making the RAFT agents in their own labs. This effort is another example of the core value of Aldrich Materials Science – we focus on supplying materials so that our customers can focus on results.”
Kate Dawson, business development manager of RAFT at CSIRO, said: “The RAFT technology is creating global impact and has been licensed by a range of Australian and multinational companies. Making RAFT agents available from Sigma-Aldrich is a big step toward enabling researchers to achieve the major improvements that RAFT can bring in areas such as coatings, biomaterials, polymer synthesis and personal care.”
Sigma-Aldrich currently offers seven RAFT agents that can be supplied in quantities from standard 1g and 5g packs to several hundred grams and expects to make additional RAFT agents available later in 2010. The new RAFT products expand the Aldrich Materials Science line of tools for controlled polymerization.