Self‐Immolative Poly(Benzyl Ether)s: Design Principles and Controlled Depolymerization
- 1School of Polymer Science and Engineering Chonnam National University Gwangju South Korea
Abstract
Self‐immolative polymers (SIPs) constitute a sophisticated class of stimuli‐responsive materials capable of undergoing complete end‐to‐end depolymerization upon a single triggering event. Among the various SIP architectures, quinone‐methide (QM)‐based poly(benzyl ether)s (PBEs) stand out owing to their high structural stability and well‐defined disassembly kinetics. This article reviews the fundamental design principles of PBEs, emphasizing the thermodynamic role of their low ceiling temperature (T c) and their 1,6‐elimination mechanism for depolymerization. It also demonstrates how the restoration of aromaticity and the entropic gain drive polymerization (“zipping”) of QM monomers and depolymerization (“unzipping”) of the polymer backbone into stable monomeric units, respectively. Furthermore, it discusses recent advances in modular end‐cap engineering, which enable precise spatiotemporal control over depolymerization in response to chemical, photochemical, and biological stimuli. Overall, by highlighting the applications of PBEs in signal amplification, controlled cargo release, and the development of chemically recyclable materials, this article offers a comprehensive overview of their potential to redefine the boundaries of functional macromolecular design within a sustainable framework.
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026selfimmolative,
title = {{Self‐Immolative Poly(Benzyl Ether)s: Design Principles and Controlled Depolymerization}},
author = {Ji Woo Kim and Yewon Kang and Hyungwoo Kim},
journal = {Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1002/chem.71569},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.71569},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Self‐Immolative Poly(Benzyl Ether)s: Design Principles and Controlled Depolymerization
AU - Ji Woo Kim
AU - Yewon Kang
AU - Hyungwoo Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/13
JO - Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
DO - 10.1002/chem.71569
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.71569
AB - Self‐immolative polymers (SIPs) constitute a sophisticated class of stimuli‐responsive materials capable of undergoing complete end‐to‐end depolymerization upon a single triggering event. Among the various SIP architectures, quinone‐methide (QM)‐based poly(benzyl ether)s (PBEs) stand out owing to their high structural stability and well‐defined disassembly kinetics. This article reviews the fundamental design principles of PBEs, emphasizing the thermodynamic role of their low ceiling temperature (T c) and their 1,6‐elimination mechanism for depolymerization. It also demonstrates how the restoration of aromaticity and the entropic gain drive polymerization (“zipping”) of QM monomers and depolymerization (“unzipping”) of the polymer backbone into stable monomeric units, respectively. Furthermore, it discusses recent advances in modular end‐cap engineering, which enable precise spatiotemporal control over depolymerization in response to chemical, photochemical, and biological stimuli. Overall, by highlighting the applications of PBEs in signal amplification, controlled cargo release, and the development of chemically recyclable materials, this article offers a comprehensive overview of their potential to redefine the boundaries of functional macromolecular design within a sustainable framework.
SN - 0947-6539
SN - 1521-3765
ER -