Title: initialisation
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - initialisation
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.16249
Status: current

Definition
Process for converting a starting initiator or chain transfer agent into a macro-initiator or macro-chain-transfer agent during reversible-deactivation polymerization (RDP).

Note
In RAFT polymerization, initialization is sometimes known as the pre-equilibrium step.

Related Terms
- RAFT polymerization: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08935
- chain transfer agent: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08947
- macro-chain-transfer agent: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08962
- macro-initiator: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08963
- reversible-deactivation polymerization: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08912

Source
- PAC, 2022, 94, 1093. 'Terminology for chain polymerization (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 1122 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-1211)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/16249/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/16249/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/16249/xml

Citation: Citation: 'initialisation' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.16249
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Accessed: 2026-04-18T08:54:30+00:00