Iniferter technique is an efficient and convenient method for preparation of well-defined vinyl polymers and copolymers

and developing novel iniferters is a continued theme in living radical polymerization area. In this review article

the progress of iniferter studies was summarized．Novel mono-functional thermal and photo iniferters

polymerizable iniferters

multi-functional iniferter and photo macroiniferters were designed

synthesized and used for preparation of well-defined end-functionalized polymers

block and graft copolymers．These thermal iniferters are diethyl 2

3-dicyano-2

3-diphenylsuccinate (DCDPS)

diethyl 2

3-dicyano-2

3-di (p-tolyl) succinate (DCDTS)；photo iniferters are N-(p-tolyl)-N′-diethyldithiocarbamylacetamide (TDCA)

ethyl N

N-diethyldithio-carbamylacetate (EDCA)

n-butyl N

N-diethyldithiocarbamylacetate (BDCA)

benzyl N

N-diethyldithio-carbamylacetaIe (BzDCA)；polymerizable iniferters are β-methacryloxylethyl 2-N

N-diethyldithiocarbamylacetate (MAEDCA)

allyl 2-N

N-diethyldithiocar-bamylacetate (ADCA)；the multi-functional iniferter is diethyl 2

3-dicyano-2

3-di(p-diethyldithiocar-bamylmethyl) phenylsuccinate (DDDCS)；photo macroiniferters are α

ω-functionalized polyethylene glycol and polytetrahydrofuran macroiniferters．DCDPS and DCDTS not only can initiate MMA living polymerization at low temperature but also realize St living polymerization successfully in thermal iniferter area for the first time．MAEDCA bearing both vinyl group and DC group is used for synthesis of well-defined graft copolymer by two pathways．DDDCS bearing both thermal dissociated and photo dissociated chemical bonds

by alternative heating and irradiation sequence

can be used to synthesize a series of ABA triblock copolymers with controlled compositions and block chain length facilely

especially for PVAc-b-PSt-b-PVAc which cannot be prepared by using any other living radical polymerization methods.