Recent development of functional aliphatic polycarbonates for the construction of amphiphilic polymers

Abstract

Amphiphilic polymers can form nanostructures via self-assembly and thus have attracted significant attention from scientists in the development of synthetic methodology and materials science. In the construction of amphiphilic polymers, functional aliphatic polycarbonates show great advantages due to their good biocompatibility and biodegradability. To date, numerous studies reporting functional aliphatic polycarbonates for the construction of amphiphilic polymers have not yet been well-summarized; therefore they will be highlighted in this review. Herein, seven parts based on the roles of aliphatic polycarbonates in amphiphilic polymers (hydrophobic unit, hydrophilic unit, or/and functional unit) have been discussed. We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of functional aliphatic polycarbonates that are employed to construct amphiphilic polymers.