Ring‐Opening Polymerization of α‐Amino Acid N ‐Carboxyanhydrides and Side‐Chain Functionalized Polypeptides

Abstract

Synthetic polypeptides from ring‐opening polymerization of α‐amino acid N ‐carboxyanhydrides (NCA) are versatile materials for various biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. This article overviews recent progress in NCA polymerizations and side‐chain functionalization of polypeptides. Initiating systems, mechanism studies, and optimized polymerization conditions for the NCA polymerization are comprehensively reviewed and evaluated here. The substituents of NCA monomers are also described. Finally, the design and synthesis of functional polypeptides is summarized and discussed.