Topological polymer chemistry for designing multicyclic macromolecular architectures

Abstract

The geometrical conception and current synthetic challenges of topological polymer chemistry have been reviewed. On the basis of the systematic classification and isomeric properties of polymer chain topologies, a variety of novel multicyclic macromolecular constructions have now been rationally designed and subsequently realized by intriguing synthetic protocols. In particular, cyclic and multicyclic polymer products are effectively produced by an electrostatic polymer self-assembly of telechelic precursors that contain cyclic ammonium salt groups accompanying polyfunctional carboxylate counteranions and the subsequent covalent conversion through the ring-opening or through the ring-emitting reaction of the cyclic ammonium salt groups by carboxylate counteranions (Electrostatic Self-assembly and Covalent Fixation (ESA-CF) process). Furthermore, the ESA-CF process, in conjunction with effective linking/cleaving chemistry (including the metathesis condensation (clip) and alkyne-azide addition (click) reactions), has been demonstrated as a new synthetic protocol for unprecedented multicyclic macromolecular topologies.