Degradable click-reaction-based polymers as highly functional materials

The efficient development of functional and sustainable polymers not only requires rapid formation under mild conditions but also a high degree of control over the polymer structure, as well as gentle degradation routes that do not diminish their function. A significant step forward was set by the groups of Wu and Sharpless, as outlined in ACS Central Science, in which they use sulfur exchange click chemistry to access polymers via a chain-growth mechanism and pave the way toward mild degradation and application as degradable gels.