The research in advanced functional polymers is being driven by the fast-growing demand of new functional materials for revolutionary technologies. Polymers can be endowed with functions by the use of some special preparation methods or by introducing functional groups or fillers into materials. These functions are either possessed intrinsically by materials or actuated by external stimuli. In this review, we present an overview of the recent developments in research hotspots of functional polymers, involving polymerization methodologies, luminescent polymers, photovoltaic polymers, other electronic and optical polymers (including low-k polyimide and second-order nonlinear optical polymers), bio-related polymers (especially those for biomedical applications), supramolecular polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, shape memory polymers, separation polymer membranes, energy storage polymers, and covalent organic framework polymers. The concepts, design strategies at molecular level, preparation methods, classifications, properties, potential applications, and the recent progress of such polymers are summarized. Challenges and future perspectives of each type of functional polymers are also addressed, making research efforts on the design and fabrication of functional polymers for serving the increasing needs of new materials.
Last. Ben Zhong Tang(SCUT: South China University of Technology)H-Index: 128
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Alkyne-based click polymerization has become a powerful tool for the preparation of functional polymers. However, the click polymerizations performed under mild reaction conditions should be further developed for more facile synthesis of functional polymeric materials. In this work, an efficient hydroxyl–yne click polymerization using ester activated alkynes and alcoholic hydroxyl groups as monomers is developed in the presence of a commercially available organobase bicyclo[2.2.2]-1,4-diazaoctan...
Last. Xiaowei Zhan(PKU: Peking University)H-Index: 72
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The unidirectional extension of a smaller fused-ring system into a larger one in a single direction will increase the conjugation length, allowing a fine-tuning of electronic properties. Here, we designed and synthesized a unidirectionally extended fused-8-ring-based nonfullerene acceptor, AOIC, and a bidirectionally extended fused-11-ring electron acceptor, IUIC2, and compared these with the parent fused-5-ring electron acceptor, F5IC. They share the same electron-accepting groups and alkylphen...
#1Weiqiang Fu(BIT: Beijing Institute of Technology)H-Index: 6
#2Gui-Nan Zhu(BIT: Beijing Institute of Technology)H-Index: 1
Last. Yuping Dong(BIT: Beijing Institute of Technology)H-Index: 42
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A series of new photodegradable poly(furan-amine)s (PFAs) were synthesized by a one-pot, catalyst-free, multicomponent cyclopolymerization between diisocyanides, dialkylacetylene dicarboxylates, and aromatic dialdehydes. All polymerizations were conducted in toluene at 100 °C for 6 h without inert gas protection and furnished polymers with a satisfactory molecular weight (Mw up to 32200) and yield. The PFA structure was confirmed by spectroscopic techniques, such as GPC, FTIR, and NMR, as well a...
#1Qingqing Gao(HKUST: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)H-Index: 3
#2Ling-Hong Xiong(CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)H-Index: 8
Last. Ben Zhong Tang(SCUT: South China University of Technology)H-Index: 128
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Polymers containing rich chalcogen elements are rarely reported due to the lack of facile synthesis methods. Herein, a novel multicomponent polymerization route toward chalcogen-rich polymers was introduced. A series of poly(vinyl sulfones) (PVSs) were synthesized at room temperature using readily prepared monomers. PVSs were generated with high regio- and stereo-selectivity in high yields (up to 92.3%). Rich chalcogen elements endowed PVSs with distingctive multifunctionalities. The PVSs posses...
Last. Ben Zhong Tang(SCUT: South China University of Technology)H-Index: 128
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The C–H activation has been a hot research area in organic chemistry, and the most difficult one is the C(sp3)–H activation. Although the C–H activation has been introduced to the research of synthetic polymer chemistry, the polymerization developed based on C(sp3)–H activation is rarely reported, which will enrich the tools for the preparation of functional polymers. In this work, palladium/benzoic acid catalyzed polymerization of internal diynes and diols through C(sp3)–H activation was succes...
#1Kaojin Wang(UdeM: Université de Montréal)H-Index: 10
#2Yong-Guang Jia(UdeM: Université de Montréal)H-Index: 14
Last. X. X. Zhu(UdeM: Université de Montréal)H-Index: 40
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Abstract Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are capable of changing their shapes in a pre-defined manner under a stimulus, and have gained considerable interest in the past decades. Although a number of stimulus-responsive SMPs have been developed, thermally-induced SMPs are still the most common. This review presents the concepts, the programming procedures, the molecular mechanism, classification, design strategies and the recent progress of thermally-induced SMPs, including dual, triple, multiple S...
#1Rong Hu(SCUT: South China University of Technology)H-Index: 10
#2Xu Chen(SCUT: South China University of Technology)H-Index: 3
Last. Ben Zhong Tang(SCUT: South China University of Technology)H-Index: 128
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Unnatural reaction in the living cells is a powerful tool for biological research. However, the polymerization inside cells is rarely reported. In this work, a lab-in-cell is illustrated based on our developed spontaneous amino-yne click polymerization. Carbonyl group activated terminal diyne can spontaneously polymerize with tetraphenylethene (TPE)-containing primary diamine inside cells, and polymer with weight-average molecular weight of 7,300 was yielded. By utilizing this in vivo amino-yne ...
#1Gui-Nan Zhu(BIT: Beijing Institute of Technology)H-Index: 1
#2Weiqiang Fu(BIT: Beijing Institute of Technology)H-Index: 6
Last. Yuping Dong(BIT: Beijing Institute of Technology)H-Index: 42
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Multicomponent spiropolymerization (MCSP) provides an efficient synthetic tool for the construction of spiropolymers based on nonspiro monomers. In this study, a method of MCSP using diisocyanides 1, diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate 2, and halogenated quinones 3 is developed for the in situ construction of bis-spiropolymers with high molecular weights (Mw up to 29 200) and good yields (up to 87.7%) under mild reaction conditions. The structure of the obtained bis-spiropolymers is confirmed by gel ...
Last. Atsushi Goto(NTU: Nanyang Technological University)H-Index: 9
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An iodide-terminated polymer (Polymer-I) is converted to a thiol-terminated polymer (Polymer-SH) using HSCH2CH2SH in a remarkably short time (10 min). Polymer-SH is further converted to a pyridyl disulfide-terminated polymer (Polymer-SS-Py). The hetero-coupling of Polymer-SH and Polymer-SS-Py is successfully achieved to quantitatively generate a polymer disulfide (Polymer-SS-Polymer). Exploiting this efficient hetero-coupling technique, Polymer-SH is attached (grafted) on a Py-SS-immobilized sur...
#1Han Zhang(Changchun University of Science and Technology)H-Index: 1
#2Guan-Yu Ding(Changchun University of Science and Technology)
Last. Zhong-Min Su(Changchun University of Science and Technology)H-Index: 84
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Abstract Luminescent sensors have received extensive attention due to their fast-response and easy-operation and when integrating multifunctions in a sensor, the cost will be reduced substantially. Covalent organic polymers (COPs) as multifunctional luminescent sensor with outstanding performance are still underexplored. In this work, a typical COP named as COP-2 show preponderant performance in the detection of Fe3+, MnO4-, and TNP. COP-2 has the highly efficient ability to selectively detect F...
Most of the currently available commercial photothermal agents suffer from issues in terms of photothermal instability and low photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), which indeed impair their practical applications in disease treatment. Herein, a type of biocompatible organic nanoparticles (namely NDTB NPs) for an effective photothermal treatment with a high PCE of 40.6% was developed, which showed far higher photothermal stability compared with that of the clinically used indocyanine green. ...
A methodology for synthesizing a wide range of dumbbell-shaped, graft and bottlebrush polymers with all-siloxane nature (without carbosilane linkers) is suggested. These macroarchitectures are synthesized from SiOH-containing compounds-silanol (Et3 SiOH) and siloxanol dendrons of the first and second generations, with various peripheral substituents (Me or Et)-and from linear siloxanes comprising terminal and internal SiH groups by the Piers-Rubinsztajn reaction. Products and key building bloc...