This review deals with recent progress in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization in heterogeneous phases

such as emulsion and miniemulsion systems .RAFT polymerization has been a versatile routine to synthesize a wide variety of functional monomers with controlled molecular weight and narrow MWD .Most of RAFT polymerizations have been achieved in bulk and solution systems .However

there are some issues of mass transfer and latex stability in RAFT/emulsion and RAFT/miniemulsion polymerization

leading to the failure of controlled molecular weight

the destabilization of colloidal polymers

and the formation of an intractable oily layer .The intrinsical reasons of these phenomena and improved methods have been proposed in literatures .The relationship between the mechanism of RAFT and the nucleation of latex particles in both emulsion and miniemulsion polymerization is also summarized in this article .