“Click”‐Chemistry in Polymer and Material Science: the Update

Abstract

According to a SciFinder-search in January 2008, the azide/alkyne-“click”-reaction (also termed CuAAc) has had enormous impact within the field of polymer science. Thus, ∼220 original papers have been published in the context of click-chemistry and polymer science, more than 20 Reviews and at least 10 patents have appeared, altogether stressing the importance of this reaction. Given the short timeline for the discovery of Cu(I)-catalysis by Meldal et al. and Sharpless et al. in ∼2002 and the first published applications in polymer science (∼2004), someone can ask the question “where does it stem from”, and - in the same line - find a quick answer: a high efficiency-reaction, coupled with a high functional group tolerance and solvent insensitivity (also highly active in water), working equally well under homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions certainly ranks high on the polymer-scientists' wish list. This whole Special Issue of Macromolecular Rapid Communication is dedicated to this topic, including specialized Reviews and original papers. Thus special reviews will cover topics such as an update on the use of azide/alkine-“click”-chemistry in polymer science by the guest editor (W. H. Binder); the role of the copper-species on polymer clicking (by M. Meldal); the combination of biodegradable polymers and azide/alkine-“click”-reactions (by R. Jerome et al.); the synthesis of (orthogonal) multistep-reactions in combination with azide/alkine-“click”-reactions (by M. Malkoch et al.); “click-chemistry” for the synthesis of macromolecular chimeras (polymer/biopolymer hybrids, by K. Velonia); and the synthesis of higher polymeric architectures and networks (by N. Turro et al.). Moreover, recent advances in the field are covered by original articles, stressing the importance of the reaction, and also demonstrating its enormous efficiency and applicability. It thus is clearly demonstrated that by using azide/alkyne-“click”-chemistry not only more, but also more complex molecules and materials can now be approached in cases, where in earlier times longer experiments and planning has been required. With “azide/alkyne-“click”-chemistry” in hand, polymer chemistry now approaches the level of small-molecule organic chemistry in terms of functional broadness, structural integrity and molecular addressability.