## 1 Introduction  
In the last two decades, Quasi-Living Radical Polymerization (QLRP) [1] has become a technique commonly used for the preparation of well-defined (co)polymers with tailor-made and advanced architectures; with such block copolymers and advanced nanostructures based on them [2]. Among QLRP techniques, Nitroide Mediated Radical Polymerization (NMRP) [3; 4], Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT) [5], and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) [6] are the most commonly used. The last of them is especially useful because it enables quasiliving radical polymerization of a wide range of monomers, can be performed at relatively low temperatures (including room temperature), and leads to (co)polymers with narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD), precisely planned architectures, high functionalities and defined end-groups. In addition, recently developed modifications of ATRP such as Activators Generated by Electron Transfer Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (AGET ATRP), Activators Regenerated by Electron Transfer Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ARGET ATRP) and Initiation for ContinuousActivators Regeneration Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ICAR ATRP) allow control of radical polymerization using catalytic systems with concentrations at the ppm level [7]. It is worth noting that for the QLRP, a term controlled radical polymerization is commonly used. However, in fact the term controlled polymerization is not well-defined in scientific publications. It seems that from a mechanistic point of view, quasi-living polymerization is a better expression. [PERSON] and [PERSON] in several papers analyzed the distinctions between ideal living polymerization and quasiliving polymerization and clearly showed that using the expression \"controlled\" might be imprecise [8; 9; 10]. Recently, QLRP has been intensively used for the preparation of smart polymer materials, i.e., materials that have the ability to respond to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, electric and magnetic field, ionic strength, radiation forces and others [11; 12]. This class of materials is extremely promising for a wide range of applications in the field of medicine, pharmacy, engineering, nanoscience, biochemistry and biotechnology [12]. Smart polymers can be successfully used as drug delivery agents, actuators, smart surfaces for tissue engineering, smart membranes with controlled porosity and selectivity, chemical valves, biosensor smart devices, artificial pumps, muscles and many others [11]. Among the smart polymers, temperature-responsive (co)polymers are some of the most intensively studied due to their unique property, which relies on the change of their solubility resulting from changing from a hydrophilic state to a hydrophobic state above a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) or below upper critical solution temperature (UCST) [12]. On the microscopic scale, it is visible as precipitate formation from a homogeneous solution of polymer; in the case of cross-linked hydrogels, prepared from smart polymers, as changes in their size connected with water content (hydrogel) [13; 14]. For both LCST and UCST, a one-name phase transition temperature (PTT) is also used. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a biocompatible, synthetic polymer which exhibits a LCST in aqueous solutions around 32 \({}^{\circ}\)C, importantly, close to the human body temperature. Below the LCST this polymer is completely miscible with water, in all proportions, whereas at temperatures above the LCST, a phase separation occurs. Importantly, this phenomenon is reversible and can be triggered externally. Therefore, PNIPAM is intensively studied in view of its potential applications, mainly in targeted drug delivery [15; 16]. For these purposes, the LCST of the polymer must be appropriately adjusted. The LCST strongly depends on the molecular weight of the polymer and presence of co-monomers in the polymer chain [13].