Synthetic Polymers with Finely Regulated Monomer Sequences: Properties and Emerging Applications

Abstract

Abstract The design of synthetic polymers with controlled monomer sequences is an important emerging trend in polymer science. This new field of research is bio-inspired by sequence-defined biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids. The chemical synthesis of nonnatural sequence-controlled polymers (SCPs) has been described in several reviews. However, there is currently little information about the properties and applications of these polymers. In this context, the aim of this article is to give a comprehensive view on these aspects. After a general introduction and a short section about the synthesis of SCPs, the physicochemical properties of these synthetic macromolecules are described in detail. For instance, emphasis is put on the bulk and solution self-assembly of SCPs. In the last part of this article, potential applications are reviewed and discussed. Overall, SCPs, which are more time-consuming to synthesize than regular commodity polymers, are not meant to be used in high-scale applications but more in specialty technologies with high-added value. For instance, application areas such as data storage, anti-counterfeiting technologies, catalysis, and photovoltaics are described in this article.