Themed collection Polymer Chemistry Emerging Investigators

This themed issue of Polymer Chemistry highlights the work of emerging investigators in Polymer Chemistry. Editor-in-Chief Christopher Barner-Kowollik introduces the issue.

In this Minireview, RAFT polymerization of monomers derived from renewable resources is explored. Methods used to prepare these monomers are discussed, and potential applications of the resulting renewable polymers are highlighted.

We explore the design and synthesis of hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering from the perspective of the underlying polymer chemistry. The key polymers, properties and architectures used, and their effect on tissue growth are discussed.

In this review, we provide an overview of six major techniques to tune the sensitivity and specificity of polydiacetylene-based sensors.

Swelling and deswelling behaviors of graphene oxide-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) composite hydrogels can be tuned by the concentrations of a chemical crosslinker and graphene oxide, and the rate of the external temperature change.

Thermo-responsive 3D-printed hydrogels that are composed of methylated α-cyclodextrin polyrotaxanes have been synthesized through post-3D-printing methylation.

Polymer micelles were formed using thiol-epoxide “click” chemistry to trigger functionalization-induced self-assembly (FISA) of block copolymers by modifying a reactive glycidyl methacrylate block with solvophobes.

We demonstrate that we can tune the chain collapse of comb copolymers into single-chain nanoparticles upon UV irradiation through solvency control.

We introduce a novel sulfur-containing polyester derivative based on a renewable monomer bearing secondary disulfide groups. Base-mediated sulfur exchange reaction of disulfide bonds using S₈ delivers polyesters with tailored functional properties.

Polyelectrolyte capsules stabilize biphasic oil droplets while preserving droplet reconfigurability in the presence of surfactants.

An atom transfer radical polymerization-mediated sequential “graft-from” approach was developed to synthesize molecular brush-on-brush (MBoB)-based hierarchically branched polymers with readily tunable structural parameters.

Different ratios between THF and dioxane were used to study the effect of organic solvent composition on the self-assembly and subsequent shape-change of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (PEG-PDLLA) polymersomes.

Recyclable Ni–Co alloy catalyzed synthesis of well-defined poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA, up to 129 500 g mol⁻¹) with narrow-dispersity (Đ = 1.30) via a reversible deactivation radical polymerization technique is reported.

Star polymers were synthesized via cores crosslinking of (macro)molecular ladder motifs and converted to microporous polymer particles after arm degradation.

Chemically anisotropic colloids prepared by polymerization-induced phase separation during seeded emulsion polymerization with non-crosslinked seeds reveals tunability in both surface and interior properties based on the morphology evolution.

We report the first system of ladder polymers capable of interconversion between rigid and flexible conformations by coordination and elimination of a Lewis acid (BPh₂Cl) on diazacyclooctane units in the main chain.

Functional enyne reagents enable the synthesis of low dispersity heterotelechelic polymers using catalytic quantities of ruthenium initiator.

A fluorescent supramolecular network for halogen ions and picric acid detection was prepared by linking metallacycles using dynamic covalent bonds.

Low-fouling phospholipid polymer was conjugated with bio-inspired tethering groups. Immobilization efficiencies of these polymers onto various surfaces were investigated.

Amphiphilic poly(esteracetal) micelles encapsulate potent immune modulatory drugs, but fall apart and release them upon dual pH or enzymatic stimuli.

We have revealed that the quality of control of the polymerization was improved by adding some compounds and polymer tacticity was dependent on the structures of π-allyl ligands.

We report herein the first example of light-controlled radical reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization facilitated by cadmium selenide quantum dots and the grafting-from CdSe QDs to create polymer-QDs nanocomposites.

A thrombosis-targeted molecular imaging probe with magnetic resonance (MR) and optical dual-modality capacity using dibromomaleimide (DBM)-bearing polymer-grafted NaGdF₄ nanoparticles.

The addition of 5 mol% of functional styrenics imparts control to the SG1-mediated polymerization of methacrylates and provides access to nanostructured functional methacrylic materials.

Polymers with pendant ligands furnish single-chain polymeric nanoparticles upon intramolecular metal–ligand complex formation with different metal-ions and Taylor dispersion analysis is employed to reliably characterize the dispersed particles.

A pyridazine thiadiazole acceptor (PzT) has been utilised in the synthesis of a novel low band-gap D–A copolymer PTTPz.

Terminal functionalized polypeptides were synthesized in one-pot chemoenzymatic polymerization using protease for constructing special polymeric architectures.

PEGDA-based nanogels have been used in numerous applications, but their degradation rates have not been explored. We determine the degradation rates for multiple formulations and demonstrate key differences in degradation rates relative to bulk gels.

Predicting the orientation rate of rod-shaped magnetic microgels to induce unidirectional regeneration of complex and sensitive tissues.

This work illustrates an effective side-chain modification approach using amide functional groups to induce aqueous electroactivity to ProDOT-based electrochromic polymers.

A protein nanoparticle system based on cytochrome c was modified with acid-degradable polyethylene glycol (PEGylation). Vinyl ether moieties distributed in the polyether backbone, enabled particle degradation at slightly acidic pH.

Water-soluble diblock brush-arm star copolymers using γ-CD-based core-first ring-opening metathesis polymerization, allowing for anticancer drug delivery via host–guest interaction.

Attaching targeting ligands on the surface of self-assembled drug delivery systems is one of the key requests for a controlled transport of the drug to a desired location.

This work reports a unique one-pot/one-step route to rapidly produce poly(thioether)s from poly(monothiocarbonate) (PMTC), a sulfur-containing polymer, using commercially available organic bases.

Polymerization-induced intramolecular segregation can be realized during the “in–out” synthesis of heteroarm core cross-linked star polymers to facilitate well-defined microphase separation.

The performance of a series of 2-amino-4,6-diphenyl-benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile derivatives as visible light sensitizers for diphenyliodonium salt for enabling photopolymerization at different irradiation wavelengths was studied.

Branching closer to the backbone causes tighter packing in the side-chain direction and lower side chain and backbone dynamics.

Semiconducting, redox-active and solution-processable: accessing a highly functional Ru–polymetallayne via copper-free dehydrohalogenation polymerization.

Non-solvating, side-chain polymer electrolytes with more dissociable pendent anion chemistries exhibit a dielectric relaxation dominated lithium ion transport mechanism.

A photo-responsive and modifiable polypeptide with stable helical conformation was synthesized. The self-assembly and liquid crystalline phase structure were subsequently studied.

We demonstrate the reinforcement of a previously inaccessible norbornene-silane with a stiff, bio-based nanofiller.

A pH responsive pMAA nanogel that demonstrates high loading capacity and rapid intracellular delivery of hydrophilic peptides.

Ligand secondary interactions and Lewis acid modulation are simultaneously achieved in palladium and nickel catalyzed ethylene polymerization and copolymerization.

Novel amphiphilic PVDF-based triblock copolymer (PVDF₅₀-b-PEG₁₃₆-b-PVDF₅₀) is synthesized using RAFT polymerization and a one-pot thia-Michael addition. Self-assembly of this ABA copolymer resulted in formation of original crystalline structures.

Multiblock polymers with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block are attractive candidates for biomedical applications because of their favorable properties regarding biocompatibility and hydrophilicity.

The glass transition temperature, thermal degradation temperature, and complex viscosity of metal sulfonated polyetherimides decrease with an increase in metal cation size.

Orthogonal halogen (X)-bonding and hydrogen (H)-bonding have been employed for constructing a surface functionalizable supramolecular polymer in water featuring tunable morphology and dual stimuli (pH and temperature) responsive properties.

A facile self-assembly method, rapid injection, was used to study the self-assembly difference between AB diblock and ABA triblock copolymers.

An alternating rhomboidal copolymer was prepared through the combination of orthogonal self-assembly between metal-coordination and host-guest chemistry as well as integrative self-sorting strategy associated with molecular size and steric effect.

Employing mechanofluorophores in polymer fractography to obtain new information on force-induced events when analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Facile low temperature aqueous heterogeneous RAFT polymerization for preparation of novel star polymers with acid-labile diacetal-based cores for DNA delivery.

Polymer molecular weight distributions are targeted through kinetic modeled with high fidelity based on the temporal control of chain initiation in anionic polymerizations.

Modelling and synthesis go hand in hand to efficiently engineer copolymer microgels with various architectures: core–shell structures (with ferrocene mainly in the core or in the shell) and also microgels with homogeneous comonomer distribution.

A series of reversible crosslinking assemblies with tunable morphologies are obtained from a new family of photoresponsive polypeptoid-based diblock copolymers.