radicalinitiated

Radicalinitiated is an informal or less common way to describe a process that is started by a radical species, typically a free radical. In scientific contexts, the more standard term is radical-initiated or radical-initiated polymerization, and it refers to reactions that begin when a radical is generated and becomes the reactive center for further transformation.

In chemistry, radical initiation usually involves producing reactive radicals through thermal decomposition of an initiator, photochemical generation, or redox processes. Common initiators include azo compounds such as AIBN and organic peroxides. The initiation step creates a radical that adds to a monomer, forming a new radical that propagates chain growth. Termination can occur by combination, disproportionation, or other chain-transfer events. Oxygen, inhibitors, and impurities can affect rates and control of the process.

Radical-initiated processes are widely used in polymer chemistry to produce polymers from vinyl and acrylate monomers, among others. They enable rapid polymerization and are compatible with a broad range of substrates, but they typically yield polymers with broader molecular weight distributions compared to more controlled methods. The approach is central to plastics, coatings, adhesives, and inks, and can be adapted by choosing different initiators, solvents, and conditions to influence rate, molecular weight, and architecture.

Notes: the term radical-initiated is more common in technical literature; radicalinitiated as a single word is rarely seen outside informal contexts. See also free radical polymerization, photoinitiation, and initiators.