Spatiotemporal control of polymerization is typically achieved with switchable catalysts. In an alternative approach, latency is now built into the monomer. A photoswitchable quadricyclane–norbornadiene pair, activated by heat or photothermal conversion, keeps initiator-premixed metathesis feeds stable yet reactive on demand, enabling reproducible polymerization with spatial precision.
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This is a summary of: Lemcoff, N. et al. Photoswitchable olefins as latent metathesis monomers for controlled polymerization. Nat. Chem. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-02011-7 (2025).
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Photoswitchable latent monomers enable on‑demand metathesis. Nat. Chem. 18, 12–13 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-02013-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-02013-5
