Thermoplastic

Polymerization

Supramolecular chemistry

Polymer chemistry

Elastomer

Materials science

Biochemistry

Molecule

Polymer

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Copolymer

Thermoplastic elastomer

Macromolecule

Composite material

Chemistry

Polymer science

Progress in Polymer Science

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) have found use in a wide range of applications, such as adhesives, elastomers, coatings, fibers, and in additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing. Despite their omnipresence, the need for advanced TPEs with adaptive properties is continuously growing. Along with a brief historical introduction, this review presents an overview of typical structure-property relationships for various TPEs and discusses the design principles of TPEs from a synthetic chemistry perspective. Recent advances in TPEs with different macromolecular architectures, including linear ABA triblock copolymers, ABC triblock terpolymers, multiblock copolymers, star copolymers, graft copolymers, bottlebrush polymers, and hyperbranched polymers are reviewed. Service temperatures and mechanical properties of the different materials are compared in each section. Incorporating various supramolecular interactions into different macromolecular architectures as a means to further extend the range of TPE applications is also discussed. Future opportunities for TPE research in both academia and industry are addressed as perspectives.

Recent advances in thermoplastic elastomers from living polymerizations: Macromolecular architectures and supramolecular chemistry