Gas‐Responsive and Gas‐Releasing Polymer Assemblies

Abstract

In order to explore the unique physiological roles of gas signaling molecules and gasotransmitters in vivo, chemists have engineered a variety of gas‐responsive polymers that can monitor their changes in cellular milieu, and gas‐releasing polymers that can orchestrate the release of gases. These have advanced their potential applications in the field of bio‐imaging, nanodelivery, and theranostics. Since these polymers are of different chain structures and properties, the morphology of their assemblies will manifest distinct transitions after responding to gas or releasing gas. In this review, we summarize the fundamental design rationale of gas‐responsive and gas‐releasing polymers in structure and their controlled transition in self‐assembled morphology and function, as well as present some perspectives in this prosperous field. Emerging challenges faced for the future research are also discussed.

Dynamic Gas-Bridged Bond: An Opportunity of Fabricating Dynamic Assembled Materials with Gas

“…In view of gas itself participating in the construction of assembled materials, we name these materials as "gas-connected materials" or "gasconstructed materials" (Figure 6). 37 For instance, when the complementary FLP motifs are located onto both ends of a rigid monomer, the binding valency can be regarded as a linear "+2 valency". After CO 2 is added to the monomer, gas can evoke 1D polymerization to afford a class of CO 2 -connected alternating copolymers (Figure 6, i).…”