Stimuli-Responsive Polyacetylenes and Dendronized Poly(phenylacetylene)s

Combination of stimuli responsiveness with π-conjugated polymers possesses probabilities not only to provide these polymers with unique interesting properties but also to promote new functions including various optoelectronic properties, catalysis, ionic sensing, and chiral recognition. In the former part of this review, recent developments of stimuli-responsive polyacetylenes are surveyed, which act as receptors towards external stimuli such as solvent, temperature, pH, chiral compounds, metal cations, various anions, electricity, light, etc., to transduce to other signals or energies, which leads to a wide range of intriguing properties to mimic biological processes or applications to smart or intelligent materials. In the latter part, we introduce dendronized poly(phenylacetylene)s (PPAs) exhibiting interesting thermoresponsive and chiroptical properties. Thermoresponsiveness of these dendronized conjugated polymers shows synchronous influence on their helical and hydrated conformations.