The thiol-ene (click) reaction for the synthesis of plant oil derived polymers

This review covers the discovery and development of radical thiol‐ene addition reactions as functionalization and polymerization method. First, some general and important developments within the field of polymer chemistry are introduced. However, the utilization of this efficient coupling procedure for the syntheses of materials derived from plant oils are the focus of this manuscript. Applications of this unique reaction will also be discussed in terms of green chemistry requirements as well as reaction conditions and efficiency. Thiol‐ene chemistry is a highly versatile tool for the functionalization of oleochemicals. Thus, the obtained derivatives are, for instance, valuable monomers for a large variety of polymeric materials.