Editing polymer backbones

For chemical species in the polymer kingdom, the backbone is their key defining feature. From naming and classification to properties and function, the backbone is central to what makes a polycarbonate a polycarbonate, a polyamide a polyamide, and a polyether a polyether. A polymer’s backbone is the linear string of atoms, arranged in a regular repeating pattern, that forms the core of each polymer chain.

The association with identity is perhaps partly why chemists haven’t tended to manipulate polymer backbones too much. According to the standard polymer production paradigm, once a polymerisation reaction is complete, the polymer’s backbone is set for the material’s lifetime. That position has recently begun to change and it’s now time for a concerted reassessment.