Sulfur-containing block polymers from ring-opening copolymerization: coordinative encapsulants for transition metals

Abstract

Sulfur-containing polymers can coordinate transition metals via sulfur-centered, chemically soft lone pairs, although this typically occurs in a spatially uncontrolled manner. In this study, we employed the controlled ring-opening copolymerization of oxetane with sulfur-containing comonomers to construct a series of amphiphilic block copolymers featuring thioester and thiocarbonate functionalities. These copolymers self-assemble in aqueous solution into aggregates with a sulfur-rich core capable of coordinating transition metals. This behavior could be resolved by employing cryo-transmission electron tomography and then extended to complexes incorporating functional coligands. Our study demonstrates how selective catalysis can be harnessed to produce functional polymers with tunable metal coordination properties, paving the way for an emerging class of sulfur-containing copolymers.