Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units

Abstract The precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers remains a grand challenge. Here, we demonstrate the versatile synthesis of sequence-controlled polymers from the step polymerization of cyclic thioanhydrides (A), diacrylates (B), and diols/diamines (C). In addition...

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Main Authors: Yanni Xia, Tong Shao, Yue Sun, Jianuo Wang, Chaoyuan Gu, Chengjian Zhang, Xinghong Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57208-8
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author Yanni Xia
Tong Shao
Yue Sun
Jianuo Wang
Chaoyuan Gu
Chengjian Zhang
Xinghong Zhang
author_facet Yanni Xia
Tong Shao
Yue Sun
Jianuo Wang
Chaoyuan Gu
Chengjian Zhang
Xinghong Zhang
author_sort Yanni Xia
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers remains a grand challenge. Here, we demonstrate the versatile synthesis of sequence-controlled polymers from the step polymerization of cyclic thioanhydrides (A), diacrylates (B), and diols/diamines (C). In addition to easily accessible diverse monomers, the method is metal-free/catalyst-free, atom-economical, and wide in monomer scope, yielding 107 polymers with >90% yields and weight-average molecular weights of up to 175.4 kDa. The obtained polymers contain ABAC-type repeating units and precisely distributed in-chain thioester and ester (and amide) groups. The chemoselectivity of the polymerization is revealed by density functional theory calculations. The polymer library exhibits considerably tunable performance: glass-transition temperatures of −36–72 °C, melting temperatures of 43–133 °C, degradability, thermoplastics/elastomers, and thioester-based functions. This study furnishes a facile method to precisely incorporate thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers.
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spelling doaj-art-cb1aff3a91284f7c9fd4b33ba89b5e9e2025-08-20T02:16:49ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-57208-8Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type unitsYanni Xia0Tong Shao1Yue Sun2Jianuo Wang3Chaoyuan Gu4Chengjian Zhang5Xinghong Zhang6State Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityAbstract The precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers remains a grand challenge. Here, we demonstrate the versatile synthesis of sequence-controlled polymers from the step polymerization of cyclic thioanhydrides (A), diacrylates (B), and diols/diamines (C). In addition to easily accessible diverse monomers, the method is metal-free/catalyst-free, atom-economical, and wide in monomer scope, yielding 107 polymers with >90% yields and weight-average molecular weights of up to 175.4 kDa. The obtained polymers contain ABAC-type repeating units and precisely distributed in-chain thioester and ester (and amide) groups. The chemoselectivity of the polymerization is revealed by density functional theory calculations. The polymer library exhibits considerably tunable performance: glass-transition temperatures of −36–72 °C, melting temperatures of 43–133 °C, degradability, thermoplastics/elastomers, and thioester-based functions. This study furnishes a facile method to precisely incorporate thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57208-8
spellingShingle Yanni Xia
Tong Shao
Yue Sun
Jianuo Wang
Chaoyuan Gu
Chengjian Zhang
Xinghong Zhang
Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units
Nature Communications
title Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units
title_full Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units
title_fullStr Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units
title_full_unstemmed Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units
title_short Precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence-controlled polymers containing ABAC-type units
title_sort precise placement of thioester bonds into sequence controlled polymers containing abac type units
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57208-8
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