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Light gated reactions are important due to their spatial and temporal control over the chemical processes but long wavelength activation of photocycloaddition reactions are rare. Here the authors introduce a green light induced [2+2] cycloaddition of a halochromic system, which allows for its photo-reactivity to be switched on and off by adjusting the pH of the system.

Subtractive manufacturing of microstructures is important for many applications, yet photoresists for 3D laser lithography allow only removal after development under harsh cleavage conditions. Here, the authors introduce a set of chemoselective cleavable photoresists allowing the orthogonal cleavage of microstructures under mild conditions.

Mastering how to completely control the exact monomer sequence of synthetic polymers is the ultimate key for establishing true biomimetic macromolecular chemistry. A versatile one-pot approach for the synthesis of well-defined multiblock copolymers with short block lengths offers another approach on the road towards this lofty goal.

Controlling the molecular sequence of polymers and oligomers is a challenging task. Here the authors use a photoligation approach to synthesise macromolecules with functionality at defined positions throughout the chain, and additionally decode the sequence information via tandem mass spectrometry.

Thioindigos are reversible photoswitches with spatial control over the conformational change, yet have very limited solubility in most solvents. Here, the authors report a method for the insertion of thioindigos into polymer chains, allowing the formation of visible light responsive hydrogels.

Chemical topology is important in bond-forming reactions, but understanding the relationship between them is challenging. Here, the authors report a study considering photo-induced cyclisations for a series of monodisperse macromolecules with defined spacers and apply their findings to 3D printing.

Predicting the conversion and selectivity of a photochemical reactions is challenging. Here, the authors introduce a framework for the quantitative prediction of the time-dependent progress of a photoligation reaction and predict LED-light induced conversion through a wavelength-resolved numerical simulation.

Dual-wavelength photochemical systems open up new avenues for novel lithographic techniques but currently only few wavelength-orthogonal photoreactive compounds undergoing reversible photoreaction are known. Here, the authors exploit cis/trans photoisomerization of azobenzenes and demonstrate photoligation of the cis state with a photochemically generated ketene.

Photopolymerization provides a safe and mild fabrication pathway towards polymeric particles but the implementation of photochemistry from solution to dispersed media to produce particles is far from trivial. Here, the authors demonstrate an additive-free step-growth photopolymerization with sunlight, exploiting the photoinduced Diels-Alder to fabricate micrometer sized polymeric particles.

The ability to switch between thermally and photochemically activated reaction channels with an external stimulus constitutes a key frontier within the realm of chemical reaction control. Here, the authors describe how the thermal reactivity of molecules can completely be switched off by visible light to provide UV light-induced selectivity of the reaction outcome.

Printed organic and inorganic electronics continue to be of large interest for several applications. Here, the authors propose laser printing as a facile process for fabricating printed electronics with minimum feature sizes below 1 µm and demonstrate functional diodes, memristors, and physically unclonable functions.

High-speed, high-resolution optics-based printing typically requires femtosecond pulsed lasers. We demonstrate optical printing using indigo-blue laser diodes and a red continuous-wave laser, achieving a peak printing rate of 7 × 10⁶ voxels s^–1 at a voxel volume of 0.55 µm³.

A computational platform describing the spatial and temporal interactions of monomers during the formation of network polymers provides structure–property relationships that are used to synthesize 3D network polymers with tailored functionalities.

Stimuli-responsive microstructures are important in soft robotics and biosciences, but water compatible materials to fabricate 3D structures are scarce. Here, the authors demonstrate pNIPAM based hetero-microstructures with substantially different material parameters by variation of the local exposure dose in 3D laser lithography.

High-resolution mass spectrometry has unrivalled power to analyse individual components of ensembles, rather than ensembles as a whole. This Perspective describes recent advances in the mass spectrometry of synthetic polymers, as well as the limitations of present methods and possible strategies to overcome them.