Polymers with advanced structural and supramolecular features synthesized through topochemical polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Polymers are essential in daily life, driving the need for novel materials with tailored properties.
• Controlling polymer chain composition and packing is crucial for desired material characteristics.
• Conventional solution-state synthesis offers limited control over molecular and supramolecular polymer structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive review of topochemical polymerization (TP) for synthesizing advanced polymer structures.
• To showcase sophisticated polymer architectures achievable through TP, including ladders, tubular polymers, and alternating copolymers.
• To highlight strategies for polymer synthesis from single monomers and discuss future prospects of TP.

Main Methods:

• Topochemical polymerization (TP) as a solvent- and catalyst-free reaction within a crystal lattice.
• Single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) TP to correlate polymer structure, packing, and properties.
• Utilizing supramolecular chemistry principles to orient reactive moieties for controlled polymerization.

Main Results:

• TP provides profound control over polymer molecular structure and supramolecular architecture, yielding ordered polymers.
• Advanced polymer topologies such as ladders, tubular polymers, alternating copolymers, and polymer blends have been synthesized via TP.
• Distinct polymers can be obtained from the same monomer by employing specific TP strategies.

Conclusions:

• TP is a powerful technique for creating advanced organic polymers with sophisticated and ordered structures.
• The review highlights the potential of TP in designing novel materials with unique properties.
• Further research into TP holds promise for developing next-generation polymers and exploring new synthetic avenues.