Dynamers: polyacylhydrazone reversible covalent polymers, component exchange, and constitutional diversity

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Component exchange in polymers enables the creation of dynamic constitutional diversity.
• Acylhydrazone functionality in polyacylhydrazones provides hydrogen-bonding and reversibility via amide and imine groups.
• Polyacylhydrazones function as dynamic polyamides capable of reversible monomer unit exchange.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the generation of dynamic constitutional diversity in polymers through component exchange.
• To investigate the properties and adaptability of polyacylhydrazones as dynamic polyamides.
• To extend the principle of reversible monomer exchange to other polymer classes like polyureas and polycarbamates.

Main Methods:

• Polycondensation of dihydrazides with dialdehydes to form polyacylhydrazones.
• Investigating the reversible exchange of monomer units in polyacylhydrazones.
• Exploring the extension of this dynamic principle to other polymer types.

Main Results:

• Polyacylhydrazones exhibit reversible exchange of one or both repeating monomer units when exposed to different monomers.
• Monomer exchange/interchange can lead to significant alterations in the polymer's physical properties.
• The principle is applicable to other polymer classes, yielding dynamic polyureas and polycarbamates.

Conclusions:

• Reversible polymers, such as polyacylhydrazones, offer dynamic constitutional diversity through monomer exchange.
• These adaptable polymers can incorporate, decorporate, or reshuffle monomers in response to environmental stimuli.
• The adaptability of these reversible polymers is a key feature of constitutional dynamic chemistry.