To increase the polymerization rate in the bimolecular nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) of styrene, without using expensive non-commercial reagents, an experimental study using 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinoxyl as a controller and tert-butylperoxy 2-ethylhexyl carbonate (TBEC) as the initiator was carried out. The basis for comparison was the bimolecular NMRP of styrene with dibenzoyl peroxide as initiator. It was found that faster polymerization rates and still relatively low polydispersities were possible using TBEC. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Ads' Polym Techn 29: 11-19, 2010; Published online in Wiley Inter Science (www.interscience.wileycom). DOT 10.1002/adv.20170