Post-synthetic ‘Click’ Synthesis of RAFT Polymers with Pendant Self-immolative Triazoles

Self-immolative linkers offer efficient mechanisms for deprotecting ‘caged’ functional groups in response to specific stimuli. Herein we describe a convenient ‘click’ chemistry method for introducing pendant self-immolative linkers to a polymer backbone through post-polymerization modification. The introduced triazole rings serve both to anchor the stimuli-cleavable trigger groups to the polymer backbone, while also forming a functional part of the self-immolation cascade. We investigate the polymerization kinetics, post-synthetic modification, and self-immolation mechanism of a model polymer system, and discuss avenues for future studies on poly-pendant self-immolative triazoles as a modular, stimuli-responsive macromolecule platform.