End-capped poly(benzyl ethers): Acid and base stable polymers that depolymerize rapidly from head-to-tail in response to specific applied signals

Michael G. Olah, Jessica S. Robbins, Matthew S. Baker, Scott T. Phillips

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

68 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article describes poly(benzyl ethers) that depolymerize from head-to-tail when an end-cap on the terminus of the polymer is cleaved from the polymer through a specific activity-based detection event. The polymers are prepared in high yields with short polymerization times and are accessible in lengths extending to thousands of repeating units. End-caps are introduced with a variety of functional groups, which provides access to polymers with selective response properties. The end-capped polymers are stable to acid, base, and heat, but depolymerize completely within minutes of removal of the end-cap and treatment of the un-end-capped polymer with base.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5924-5928
Number of pages5
JournalMacromolecules
Volume46
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Aug 2013

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