Review

This review deals with the synthesis of various polymers carrying bulky and rigid adamantyl substituents in the side chain. The synthetic methods of those polymers include the typical polymer reaction by introducing adamantyl groups to the present polymers and the polymerization of the monomers bearing the adamantyl pendant groups. A variety of vinyl monomers, such as styrenes, 1,3-butadiene, and (meth)acrylates, are capable of the living anionic polymerization to afford the polymers having predictable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn =1.1). The resulting adamantyl-substituted polymers show extremely high glass transition temperatures and high thermal stability derived from the stiff adamantyl substituents compared with the corresponding parent polymers.

Amphiphilic block polymers having nitroxide radicals (TEMPO) self-assemble in water to form nanoparticles. This is a new nanomedicine that avoids the adverse effects of conventional antioxidants, which destroy the intracellular redox environment, and makes it possible to treat various oxidative-stress-related diseases such as cerebral or cardiovascular ischemia-reperfusions, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. In addition, we have designed a gelation function in these materials and developed them as a material for anti-tissue adhesion agents and periodontal diseases. Additionally, we succeeded in enhancing cultured cell functions using an antioxidant biointerface.

This review focuses on the recent developments on the photo-induced liquefaction and softening of azobenzene-based materials. The trans–cis photoisomerization of azobenzene units incorporated in molecular materials, polymers, and gels induces a variety of state changes such as solid–liquid, gel–sol, and glass–rubber transitions of those materials isothermally. Several novel applications such as reusable and environmentally friendly photoresists, reworkable adhesives, and self-healing materials can be expected using the photochemical liquefaction and softening.

This review focuses on our novel approaches for developing functional polymers by dissociation phenomena of macromolecular complexes. One is highly swellable polymer gels, superabsorbent polymers for nonpolar organic solvents, and the other is thermo-responsive polymers at ambient temperature in nonpolar solvents. Both of them are well-known in water, but no design has ever been proposed for other media. The dissociation of the macromolecular complexes plays a key role for them. Therefore, controlling the dissociation processes in supramolecular chemistry should be another important strategy for emerged dynamic functions.

Antimicrobial cationic polymers mainly contain two functional components: the cationic groups and the hydrophobic groups. The antimicrobial activity is influenced by the type, amount, location and distribution of these two components. This review summarizes the structural designs of antimicrobial cationic polymers from primary to secondary structures, from covalent to noncovalent syntheses and from bulk to surface. It will provide some guidelines for developing molecular engineering of antimicrobial cationic polymers with tailor-made structures and functions.

In this review, we summarize the use of Diels–Alder reaction in the synthesis of arylene-based polymers, including polyphenylenes and ladder polymers, as well as graphene nanoribbons. These polymer materials are structurally related to each other, but rarely discussed all together in a same context. The importance and versatility of the Diels–Alder polymerization is highlighted for the synthesis of such polymers with various potential applications, for example, as polymer electrolyte membrane and organic semiconductors.

Synthesis and dynamic nature of macromolecular systems having mechanically linked polymer chains, which can undertake the topology transformation, are described. The rotaxane linking of polymer chains plays a crucial role in these systems. Successful syntheses of macromolecular [2]rotaxane (M2R) possessing single polymer axle and one crown ether wheel made possible the development of topology-transformable polymers from star to linear. Furthermore, rotaxane-linked ABC triblock copolymer and 4-arm and 6-arm star polymers were also synthesized and transformed to other topological polymers along with the property change.

The development of reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) has made a great contribution not only to control of molecular weight and terminal structures but also to precise syntheses of copolymers. In particular, introducing a new concept into RDRP allows ‘sequence control’, which might lead to construction of ‘alphabet polymer’ bearing well-defined sequence like peptides in nature. Herein, some methodologies to realize sequence control based on RDRP are reviewed.

The design and functions of various liquid-crystalline (LC) polymers including main-chain, side-chain and network LC polymers as well as dendritic structures are described. These polymeric LC materials can be applied for electro-, ion-, photo-active materials as well as mechanically tough materials. The introduction of supramolecular design has also generated a new category of functional LC materials.

Incorporating additional electron donors or acceptors into conjugated D–A alternating polymers result in various conjugated D–A terpolymers. The presence of additional electron donors or acceptors can modulate their electronic absorptions, highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels as well as interchain interactions and thin-film morphologies. Because of these structural features, conjugated D–A terpolymers have been intensively investigated for applications in field-effect transistors and photovoltaic cells. In this review, we introduce recent developments of conjugated D–A terpolymers with various combinations of electron donors and acceptors, and discuss the future perspectives of them.

Thermally stable and photosensitive polymers have been widely developed in recent years for their applications in the electronic packaging such as buffer coating, passivation layers, and insulation layers for redistribution in microelectronics due to their excellent thermal and reasonable dielectric properties. This review describes the recent progress of TSPSPs in the last decade and focuses on their design concept. After a brief introduction of the basic patterning procedure, various chemistries on the design of TSPSPs are highlighted along with two major patterning methodologies such as positive- and negative-working polymers. Furthermore, new applications of TSPSPs, such as low dielectric materials, high refractive index lenses, resists for ITO patterning, and π-conjugated polymers for organic-field effect transistors, are also introduced.

Both experimental measurements and molecular simulations were applied to probe the strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of natural rubber in real time, and some interesting results have been found. A very large fraction of unoriented amorphous phase remains, even at high strains. The onset strain of SIC in peroxide-cured NR decreases with increasing crosslinking density, while that in sulfur-cured NR is independent of crosslinking density. This difference may be caused by different network structures. Nanofillers, entanglements, non-rubber components and pseudoend-linked networks also result in abnormal SIC phenomena.

Liquid crystals (LCs) have recently gained significant importance in organic photovoltaics (PVs). Power-conversion efficiency up to about 10% has reached in solar cells incorporating LCs. This review presents an overview of the developments in the field of organic PVs with LCs. Comprehensive details of LCs used in bilayer solar cells, bulk heterojunction solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells have been given. An outlook into the future of this newly emerging, fascinating and exciting field of self-organizing supramolecular LC PV research is provided.

Developing renewable polymeric materials for electronics applications is crucial toward next generation of green electronic industry. Current progress on the renewable materials used as the passive and active components in electronics is reviewed, where the correlation between the relationships of chemical structures, morphology and device characteristics is featured. Furthermore, their future perspectives are provided for foreseeable paths in the development of green electronics.

Perylene tetracarboxylic bisimide (PTCBI) derivatives bearing oligosiloxane moieties were synthesized. At room temperature, the PTCBI derivatives bearing oligosiloxane chains exhibit a nanosegregated columnar phase in which crystal-like π-stacks are surrounded by a liquid-like mantle. These PTCBI derivatives are soluble in various organic solvents, and thin films can be produced by a spin-coating method. The PTCBI derivatives bearing polymerizable cyclotetrasiloxane rings show the liquid crystalline (LC) phases at room temperature. The spin-coated films of the LC PTCBI derivatives with cyclotetrasiloxane rings can be polymerized and insolubilized by exposure to the vapors of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid.

Stretchable electronics are an attractive means for producing mechanically robust devices with enhanced utility and can enable novel applications such as conformal solar cells, electronic skin and wearable electronics. Approaches to stretchable organic electronics, specifically polymer solar cell active layer materials, via a molecular design strategy are presented. Further discussion into polymer blends and engineering approaches to producing other types of stretchable electronics is given. The relationships between mechanical and electrical properties of all these materials are discussed and suggestions are given for future areas of research.

This review focuses on supramolecular gelation that exhibits unique optical functionality through the highly ordered aggregation of low-molecular-weight compounds. The supramolecular gels can be applied to improve the functionality of polymer materials through nanofibrillar network formation, while maintaining transparency. We discuss concepts and methods for manufacturing supramolecular gels, their optical characteristics and their applications for light management technology.

This review tests you for survival in modern science and technology.Q1: Can we operate molecular machines by our hands?Ans: YES (Hand-Operating Nanotechnology)!Q2: Can we mechanically control life and bio-events?Ans: YES (Mechanobiology)!Q3: What comes after nanotechnology?Ans: It is definitely Nanoarchitectonics.

This review summarizes the most widely used mechanisms in high-performance polymeric resistive memory devices, such as charge transfer, space charge trapping and filament conduction. In addition, recent studies of functional high-performance polymers for memory device applications are reviewed, compared and differentiated based on the mechanisms and structural design methods used. The reported memory properties show extremely high endurance during long-term operation, making high-performance polymers very suitable materials for memory applications.