title: RAFT polymerization and thiol chemistry: a complementary pairing for implementing modern macromolecular design.
abstract: Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is one of the most extensively studied reversible deactivation radical polymerization methods for the production of well-defined polymers. After polymerization, the RAFT agent end-group can easily be converted into a thiol, opening manifold opportunities for thiol modification reactions. This review is focused both on the introduction of functional end-groups using well-established methods, such as thiol-ene chemistry, as well as on creating bio-cleavable disulfide linkages via disulfide exchange reactions. We demonstrate that thiol modification is a highly attractive and efficient chemistry for modifying RAFT polymers.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: Andrew B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011108:Polymers; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds