Metal-free multicomponent polymerization of activated diyne, electrophilic styrene and isocyanide towards highly substituted and functional poly(cyclopentadiene)

The development of a facile and efficient polymerization to prepare cyclopentadiene-containing polymers is of vital importance and highly desired. In this work, a metal-free multicomponent polymerization of activated diyne, electrophilic styrene and isocyanide for the preparation of highly substituted poly(cyclopentadiene) was established. Soluble and thermally stable polymers with high molecular weights are obtained in high yields under mild conditions. By introducing the tetraphenylethene or triphenylamine moiety into polymer backbones, the resultant polymers show unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics. Interestingly, AIE polymers can also be generated in situ from non-AIE monomers. Moreover, the prepared polymers can generate photopatterns to function as photoresists and can also serve as visualizing agents to selectively stain the lipid droplets in live cells. This efficient polymerization will open up enormous opportunities for preparing functional cyclopentadiene-containing polymers applicable in diverse areas.