| Citation | Dr Ezio Rizzardo is internationally recognised for his pioneering work relating to the control of free radical polymerisation. He has been the leader and key member of teams that have devised and developed nitroxide mediated polymerisation (NMP), chain transfer by radical addition-fragmentation, and polymerisation with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT). These methods have revolutionised polymer synthesis by giving access to polymers of predetermined molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distributions as well as allowing the controlled synthesis of complex structures such as diblock, multiblock, hyperbranched and star shaped polymers, polymeric microgels and polymer nanospheres. Dr Rizzardo s polymer research has been widely commercialised. |