The potential applications of cationic poly(ionic liquids) range from medicine to energy storage, and the development of efficient synthetic strategies to target innovative cationic building blocks is an important goal. A post-polymerization click reaction is reported that provides facile access to trisaminocyclopropenium (TAC) ion-functionalized macromolecules of various architectures, which are the first class of polyelectrolytes that bear a formal charge on carbon. Quantitative conversions of polymers comprising pendant or main-chain secondary amines were observed for an array of TAC derivatives in three hours using near equimolar quantities of cyclopropenium chlorides. The resulting TAC polymers are biocompatible and efficient transfection agents. This robust, efficient, and orthogonal click reaction of an ionic liquid, which we term ClickabIL, allows straightforward screening of polymeric TAC derivatives. This platform provides a modular route to synthesize and study various properties of novel TAC-based polymers.

The potential applications of cationic poly(ionic liquids) range from medicine to energy storage,a nd the development of efficient synthetic strategies to target innovative cationic building blocks is an important goal. Ap ost-polymerization click reaction is reported that provides facile access to trisaminocyclopropenium (TAC)ion-functionalized macromolecules of various architectures,w hich are the first class of polyelectrolytes that bear af ormal charge on carbon. Quantitative conversions of polymers comprising pendant or mainchain secondary amines were observed for an arrayo fT AC derivatives in three hours using near equimolar quantities of cyclopropenium chlorides.T he resulting TACp olymers are biocompatible and efficient transfection agents.T his robust, efficient, and orthogonal clickr eaction of an ionic liquid, which we term ClickabIL, allows straightforwardscreening of polymeric TACderivatives.This platform provides amodular route to synthesize and study various properties of novel TACbased polymers.