Expanding Polymer Chemical Space Utilizing Fischer Carbenes, Brown Allylations, and Electrochemistry

Polymers have become ubiquitous in our everyday lives, and their various properties (which arise from the functional motifs found within the material) have helped them find a number of applications. Tuning material properties can be achieved either through polymerizing unique monomers with distinct chemical (or structural) elements, or post-polymerization modifications (which require the development of new synthetic methodologies). The research reported herein aims to address both of these grand challenges in materials science. We explore how the incorporation of metal and metalloid fragments affects polymer synthesis and bulk material properties, as well as how these synthetic handles can be subsequently engaged through further chemical transformation. Beyond this, we have developed a new electrochemical methodology that enables both functionalization and degradation of various polymeric substrates. These studies have allowed for the exploration of new chemical space in polymer science, as well as presented new platforms by which structure-property relationships can be interrogated.