Controlled chain-growth thiol-Michael polymerization

The development of controlled chain-growth click polymerization is desirable yet challenging in polymer chemistry. Here, we reported an efficient controlled chain-growth thiol-Michael polymerization using the thiol as an initiator. This polymerization could proceed efficiently without any catalysts under mild conditions, yielding sulfur-containing polymers with controlled molecular weights. The synthetic utility of this polymerization was further demonstrated by incorporating various functional groups into the polymer backbone and synthesizing diblock copolymers and star polymers. This work represents a new type of controlled chain-growth click polymerization and will open up new opportunities for polymer synthesis.