Abstract
This article reviews recent advances in the creation of functional spaces with core-functionalized star polymers and single-chain folding/crosslinked polymers via living radical polymerization. Various core-functionalized star polymers were efficiently prepared with functional linking agents and monomers to perform unique functions. For example, they can serve as nanoreactors for active and robust catalysis in organic reactions and polymerization and as nanocapsules for selective and stimuli-responsive molecular recognition. Single-chain folding polymers were obtained from the self-folding of amphiphilic random copolymers bearing hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) chains and hydrophobic alkyl pendants in water, resulting in unimer micelles with dynamic hydrophobic domains. The folded structure could be further fixed via the intramolecular crosslinking of the hydrophobic interior. In addition, cation template-assisted cyclopolymerization and concurrent tandem living radical polymerization with in situ monomer transesterification were also developed for the one-pot synthesis of cyclopolymers with large in-chain cavities and gradient and sequence-controlled copolymers.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture through Grants-in-Aid for Creative Scientific Research (18GS0209), Scientific Research (A: 24245026) and Young Scientists (Start up: 19850010, B: 20750091, B: 24750104); the Foundation for the Promotion of Ion Engineering; and by the Mizuho Foundation for the Promotion of Sciences. I deeply thank Professors Mitsuo Sawamoto and Makoto Ouchi (Kyoto University); Masami Kamigaito (Nagoya University); Tsuyoshi Ando (Nara Institute of Science and Technology); E. W. Meijer and Anja, R. A. Palmans (Eindhoven University of Technology) for their assistance and helpful discussions. Finally, I thank all of my collaborators for sharing their experimental data.
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Terashima, T. Functional spaces in star and single-chain polymers via living radical polymerization. Polym J 46, 664–673 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/pj.2014.57
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pj.2014.57
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