Telechelic Poly(Epsilon-Caprolactone)s: Synthesis and Applications

Abstract

A key challenge of polymer chemistry is the synthesis and development of polymeric materials whose chemical and physical characteristics fit their intended field of application. In general, three distinct features of a polymer determine these properties: the chemical composition (i.e., the used (co‑)monomers)), the topology (e.g., linear, branched, network), and the nature and distribution of chemical functional groups, as these determine potential chemical reactivity or physical interactions with the environment. The combination of these design motifs is referred to as the polymer architecture [1]. A modification in one of these parameters can cause significant changes in the resulting properties of a certain polymer.