Construction of linear polymers, dendrimers, networks, and other polymeric architectures by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition "click" chemistry

Abstract

The enrichment of materials synthesis with the diverse chemical building blocks and functional groups of small molecule organic chemistry has been greatly accelerated in recent years by the introduction of the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). The efficiency and modular nature of this unique reaction enables materials chemists to prepare novel functional materials of unprecedented complexity. This review summarizes the application of CuAAC to the field of materials construction, defined here as the preparation of materials with architectural integrity dependent upon the triazole linkage. Recent examples, including linear polymers, dendrimers, polymer networks, polymeric nanoparticles, and other polymeric architectures, are described. © 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.