Glycidyl Triazolyl Polymers: Poly(ethylene glycol) Derivatives Functionalized by Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Reaction

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Organic Synthesis

Background:

• Linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) possesses limited functional group loading due to terminal functionalization.
• This limitation restricts the scope of applications for PEG-based materials.
• Glycidyl triazolyl polymer (GTP) emerges as a versatile alternative to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce glycidyl triazolyl polymer (GTP) as a multifunctionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) derivative.
• To summarize synthetic protocols and work-up procedures for GTP.
• To review diverse applications of GTP-based materials.

Main Methods:

• GTP synthesis via Huisgen dipolar cycloaddition between glycidyl azide polymer and alkyne derivatives.
• Characterization of 74 examples of GTP homopolymers and copolymers.
• Review of application studies in various material science fields.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of numerous GTP homopolymers and copolymers.
• Demonstrated utility of GTP in creating multifunctionalized PEG derivatives.
• Identified applications in stimuli-responsive materials, electrical memory devices, ion-conductive materials, and biomedical fields.

Conclusions:

• GTP provides a robust platform for developing advanced polymer materials with enhanced functionalities.
• The review highlights the synthetic accessibility and broad applicability of GTP.
• Future research directions for GTP-based materials are proposed.