Relay Conjugation of Living Metathesis Polymers

The covalent coupling of complex macromolecules is a modern challenge in both chemistry and biology. The development of efficient and chemoselective methods for polymer coupling and functionalization are increasingly important for designing new advanced materials and interfacing with biochemical systems. Herein, we present a new strategy to directly conjugate living polymers prepared using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to both small molecules and synthetic macromolecules. Central to this methodology is a terminal alkyne that serves as a directing group to promote a rapid, intramolecular reaction with an otherwise unreactive olefin. This highly chemoselective relay conjugation is compatible with a range of monomer families and uses a bench-stable enyne motif that can be easily introduced to functional targets. The rapid rate of the conjugation reaction paves the way for greatly streamlined construction of complex macromolecular systems derived from metathesis polymerization techniques without the need for specialized equipment.