Clickable initiators, monomers and polymers in controlled radical polymerizations - a prospective combination in polymer science

Preparation of multifunctional and well-defined macromolecules requires a smart selection of the most suitable controlled polymerization technique in combination with appropriate click reactions. In this review, we provide an overview on the use of various "clickable" initiators and monomers as well as on the postpolymerization modifications that have been widely used to construct clickable macromolecules. As such, this contribution will aid polymer chemists to select a suitable combination of CRP and click methodologies to design the target structures. Combining the concepts of click chemistry and controlled radical polymerizations (CRPs), "clickable" initiators and monomers for CRPs as well as the postmodification reactions of prefunctional polymers have been widely used to construct clickable macromolecules.