Patent ID: 7226957

Claim:
A method for producing a polymer or oligomer with controlled molecular weight and desired end group functionality comprising a) forming a single phase monomer in water microemulsion comprising monomer, water, and an effective amount of an effective surfactant, b) selecting a water-soluble photo-initiator system designed to produce one kind of monomer-soluble radical active centers containing the desired end group functionalities for the polymer or oligomer, wherein the desired end group is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl, an isocyanate, a cyanide, a nitro, a nitrile, and an amine; c) adding to the microemulsion an amount of the water-soluble photo-initiator system chosen to provide the polymer or oligomer having the controlled molecular weight; d) selecting a temporal and spatial illumination scheme, wherein the temporal illumination scheme is chosen to produce the polymer or oligomer having the controlled molecular weight; and e) after step d), illuminating the microemulsion according to the selected temporal and spatial illumination scheme to photoinitiate polymerization of the monomer and to provide the polymer or oligomer having the desired end group functionalities and controlled molecular weight.