Controlled Synthesis of Lipoate Homopolymers via Reversible Addition–Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

. RAFT polymerization provided stable end-groups that effectively suppressed the spontaneous depolymerization of PLp. Polymers synthesized using RAFT agents remained intact for over 2 weeks in both solution and bulk, while those prepared under traditional radical conditions showed substantial degradation. Moreover, the trithiocarbonate end-group enabled light-triggered, on-demand depolymerization back to the original monomer. RAFT was also successfully extended to the synthesis of degradable block copolymers. Together, these results demonstrate that RAFT offers a simple, accessible, and proven strategy to address key challenges in PLp synthesis and long-term stability.