Poly(Vinyl Ketones): New Directions in Photodegradable Polymers

Poly(vinyl ketones) (PVKs) have received considerable attention over the past few decades due to their unique photochemistry and photodegradation properties under ultraviolet (UV) light. Many PVKs rapidly undergo photodegradation under UV light. The side-chain carbonyl moieties of PVKs permit photolysis through Norrish type I or Norrish type II reaction mechanisms and can also be readily modified by nucleophilic addition reactions. These unique properties lead to this class of polymers serving as versatile scaffolds for generating functional materials. This review captures the evolution of synthetic routes to access well-defined PVKs, along with their photochemistry and photo-degradation pathways, and discusses recent and potential applications of these photodegradable materials.