Themed collection Polymer Chemistry Open Access Spotlight

Impact of confinement on kinetics of free radical polymerization, linking geometrical constraints and physiochemical effects to polymerization steps.

A concise overview of soft-templated ordered mesoporous carbon films is provided, discussing the key morphology-specific aspects of their synthesis, characterization and applications.

Tellurophene, a five-membered heterocycle of metalloid tellurium, has unique redox, and optoelectronic properties. When integrated as a homopolymer or copolymer, these polymers exhibit novel properties, tailorable towards various applications.

This review aims to guide polymer chemists in adopting enzymatic catalysis for sustainable polymer synthesis, highlighting enzymes as powerful tools.

Metallo-supramolecular polymers (MSPs) combine metal–ligand coordination and non-covalent interactions. This review highlights how ligand geometry and metal choice influence MSP design for emerging applications.

AI-driven polymer science: a structured perspective on integrating machine learning for data analysis, property prediction, and automated research workflows.

Ionogels with novel properties draw inspiration from the outstanding covalent designs of hydrogels and covalent adaptable networks.

π-Conjugated polymers containing heavier group 13 elements are emerging materials applicable to optoelectronic devices and inorganic synthesis. This review presents an overview of synthesis and optical properties of these polymers.

Group transfer polymerization (GTP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in gas–liquid droplet flow showed consistently lower Đ values of polyMMA than those obtained in fully continuous flow, even with long operation times.

A vitamin B₁₂-derived photothermal catalyst enables controlled isocyanide copolymerization, synthesis of block copolymers, and temporal control via ATRP, while outperforming conventional systems under white light irradiation.

Six-membered 1,3-dioxa-2-silacycloalkanes were demonstrated to undergo ring-opening polymerization and subsequent monomer regeneration via polymer degradation.

The introduction of hydrophobic units into polymeric ionic liquids unexpectedly resulted in an increase in water solubility.

The first study of Transfer-dominated Branching Radical Telomerisation using diacrylate taxogens shows elevated temperatures are required to create soluble high molecular weight branched polymers with full vinyl group consumption.

Poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (SMAnh) is a petroleum-based copolymer that finds utility in both industrial and academic fields. Well-defined bioderived alternatives to SMAnh were synthesized via RAFT-mediated copolymerization.

Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) is well established as the gold standard for routine molecular weight analysis of polymers giving both mass and mass dispersity information.

This work pioneers CNC-stabilized waterborne non-isocyanate polyurethane latexes via Pickering emulsion polymerization, achieving surfactant-free, fluorescent and sustainable materials.

Fully biobased thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) via RAFT polymerization with terpenoid methacrylates glassy blocks. Demonstrating the efficacy in producing high-performance, sustainable TPEs offering a viable alternative to conventional TPE materials.

We introduce trioxanes as a new motif for on-demand photolysis of 3D printed polymer networks via an orthogonal light source using photoacid generators (PAGs).

The addition of glutathione facilitated successive disulfide exchange reactions in the polymersome, resulting in the crosslinking of the membrane. This decreased the membrane permeability, enabling the controlled gradual release of the loaded cargo.

Roadmap to obtain acrylate-specific rate coefficients/Arrhenius parametersrr via PLP-SEC.

N-Acylated poly(amino esters) (PAEs) synthesized via organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) offer potential for tailored, functional and degradable polymers.

Furfural-derived cyclic hemiacetal esters did not undergo cationic homopolymerization, while cationic copolymerization with oxiranes and terpolymerization with vinyl ethers and oxiranes successfully proceeded to yield acidically degradable polymers.

A series of cationic ring opening polymerisations (CROP) were conducted on a library of electronically diverse para-substituted 2-phenyl-2-oxazolines.

The influence of irradiation conditions on the livingness in xanthate supported photo-iniferter RAFT polymerization is investigated. Multiblock and diblock systems are used to assess chain extension in batch and flow.

Photoiniferter (PI)-RAFT polymerisation is a promising approach to synthesise a broad range of polymers due to its' "living" nature. We have investigated the effect of illumination, solvent and temperature on the PI-RAFT polymerisation of PEGMA.

We present the pressure-induced polymerization of 1,4-cyclohexadiene, wherein thermal methods may access multiple reaction pathways. In contrast, light enables solely cyclobutane-based nanothreads to arise from a single viable reaction pathway.

A dual catalytic strategy converts cycloaliphatic dienes into high T_g polyesters, offering an innovative route to advanced polymer materials.

Poly((−)-dihydrocarvide) is synthesized via yttrium-mediated ring-opening polymerization. Block copolymerization and functionalization yield semi-crystalline and brush polymers, highlighting its versatility in copolymer design.

We introduce a streamlined synthesis of non-symmetric isoindigo-based polymers to enhance specificity and tunability. Structural and mechanical characterization was conducted to elucidate the effects of symmetry-breaking on key material properties.

Carotenoids are ideal building blocks for degradable π-conjugated polymers due to their intrinsic single-molecule conductance and well-documented degradation pathways.

Biohybrid polycarbonates with a controlled degree of functionality can be prepared catalytically from (a)cyclic terpene oxides and CO₂ under practical conditions, and selectively depolymerized affording the original oxirane monomers.

New electron-deficient p–π* conjugated polymers with thiaborin-based building blocks showed extended conjugation through the boron p orbital, strong absorption in the visible to near-infrared region, and deep LUMO energy levels lower than −3.6 eV.

Tuning molecular structure and hydrophobicity enables co-assembled di- and tri-block amphiphiles to undergo cascade mesophase transitions with controlled timing—advancing the design of programmable enzyme-responsive materials with complex behavior.

The first RAFT emulsion polymerisation formulation in ionic liquid yields transparent diblock copolymer nanoparticle dispersions with improved efficiency and control.

Disulfide-based epoxy vitrimers enable full relaxation without excess amine. Introducing up to 32% non-dynamic epoxy enhances material properties while maintaining dynamic features like repairability, recyclability, and reprocessability.

α-Lipoic acid, and its ester ethyl lipoate, were copolymerised with n-butyl acrylate and a crosslinker to install labile disulfide bonds within the strands of the resulting polymer networks enabling their degradation, reformation and self-healing.

We employ a living polymerization strategy and a crescent-shaped monomer to synthesize large aromatic amide helices with cavity sizes exceeding 1 nm.

The growing interest in the use of naturally derived compounds, associated with the increasing focus on green chemistry principles in various fields of chemical technology, is also evident in the development of light-cured resins for 3D printing.

Plasmid-derived DNA bottlebrush polymers with linear and circular topologies are synthesized via aqueous grafting of PEG. These constructs exhibit tunable mechanics, enhanced nuclease resistance, and preserve DNA structure and circularity.

Amphiphilic polymer conetworks were mechanically reinforced with a combination of peptide blocks and cellulose nanocrystals, resulting in transparent, water-swellable and hexane-swellable gels with excellent mechanical properties.

Sustainably producing thermoplastics with well-defined structures across various material chemistries remains challenging.

The collapse of bisdiazo compounds with different terminal groups to generate reactive biscarbene intermediates has provided evidence for homopolymerization, in a process which proceeds in the absence of catalysts and is tolerant of oxygen.

Oleyl glycidyl ether (OlGE) is a hydrophobic monomer from a biobased fatty alcohol. Surprisingly, the in situ copolymerization kinetics of OlGE and ethylene oxide (EO) revealed an almost ideally random copolymerization (r_EO = 1.27, r_OlGE = 0.78).

Monodisperse amphiphilic diblock oligomers of C16 alkyl chains and vinyl alcohol units were prepared by aldol-group transfer polymerization and recycling size-exclusion chromatography separation to form a double-crystalline lamellar structure.

Mixed systems of poloxamer 407 and a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based triblock copolymer exhibit an unconventional sol–gel–gel transition on heating.

Dual-degradable poly(vinyl ether)s were prepared by cationic degenerative chain-transfer copolymerization of macrocyclic thioacetal carbonate and vinyl ether and degraded to low- and controlled-molecular-weight products by acid and base catalysts.

A series of quaternized poly(arylene fluorenylidene piperidinium)-based copolymers were synthesized and the effect of biphenylene groups on the thin membrane properties was investigated for the application in alkaline water electrolyzers.

Polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS) is a versatile technique for manufacturing nanostructured materials.

Ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of dioxolanones (DOXs) provides access to functional polyesters with properties that are challenging to achieve via traditional polymerization of lactones.

Here, we report the modelling of photo-mediated RAFT step-growth polymerization kinetics of maleimide and acrylate monomers with bifunctional RAFT agents bearing tertiary carboxyalkyl stabilized fragementable R groups.

A crucial aspect of drug development is designing carriers that efficiently solubilise therapeutic agents while ensuring stability, minimising cytotoxicity, and enabling targeted delivery.

Ionically-functionalized block polymer-based thermoplastic elastomers with shorter alkyl chains formed larger microscopic ionic aggregates due to reduced steric hindrance, enhancing tensile strength and toughness compared to those with longer ones.

Multifunctional dithiolane monomers were prepared, polymerized, printed across multiple length scales, and recycled.

PMMA and PAN coated silica nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized via chain transfer polymerization. The coating behaviour of both polymers was assessed and indirect characterization methods from the crude reaction mixture explored.

We revealed that bulky substituents on POSS and similar emission quantum yields between the POSS (Φ_Donor,film) and the π-conjugated polymer (Φ_{Acceptor,film}) are the key factors for creating hybrid films with thermally stable white-light emission.

We studied the mechanism of hydrolysis of commercial Nylon-6,6 polymer with a thermostable Nylon hydrolyzing enzyme and identified the substrate characteristics that influence the efficiency and deconstruction product yield.

The depolymerization rate of RAFT-synthesized methacrylates depends on the final monomer unit, with longer pendant chains enabling faster depolymerization due to enhanced chain activation.

Bioacid-derived trienes show differences in the relative kinetics of thiol-mediated step-growth and chain-growth processes.

In this work, we highlight the impact of reaction conditions (i.e. monomer conversion, reaction time, and light intensity) on the stability of thiocarbonylthio group-containing polymers by quantification utilizing TG-HPLC.

Metathesis of (oxa)norbornene monomers with sulfonate, sulfone, or sulfoxide sidechains demonstrate varied behavior from controlled, rapid ROMP to single unit monomer insertion.

Controlled living crystallization driven self-assembly (CDSA) of poly(dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PDTC-b-PEG) yields uniform two-dimensional (2D) platelets with excellent biocompatibility.

Metal-based catalysts with large ionic radii and longer and more ionic metal–polymer bonds can control both stereoselectivity of polymerization and chain cyclization leading to stereoregular cyclic P3HB.

We present iridium polypyridyl-based-PMMAs that catalyze a broad swath of homogeneous photoredox-mediated transformations, while also enabling recyclable and sustainable catalysis.

Development of a mini-library lactate amide-based acrylic monomers from commercial PLA bags. Polymers obtained by controlled polymerization exhibited water solubility adjustable through amide N-substitution combined with low ecotoxicity.

This article reports a green and affordable synthetic approach to prepare a library of ten multifunctional antimicrobial poly(ethylene glycol)s and their structure-property relationship.

The development of materials from laboratory research to industrial production is a complex, challenging, but significant process.

A star-shaped amine-terminated polystyrene of varying molar mass was synthesized on a tens-of-gram scale and used as a trifunctional crosslinker for a classical epoxy resin and a vitrimer, both showing high thermal stability and tunable properties.

Exploiting non-covalent interactions (NCIs) has become a powerful tool in catalyst design, including those for polymerisation reactions.

Transfer-dominated branching radical telomerisation creates highly cyclised polymers at low solids, however, due to its constrained geometry neopentylglycol dimethacrylate forms high molecular weight cyclised structures at high solids.

Visible light-driven organocatalyzed precision radical cyclopolymerization of hybrid dienes yields intriguing polymers with unique cyclic repeating units.