StimuliResponsive PhosphorusBased Polymers

This microreview details recent developments in stimuliresponsive polymers with phosphorus in the mainchain, in particular polyphosphazenes and polyphosphoesters. The presence of phosphorus in the polymers endows unique properties onto the macromolecules, which can be utilized for the preparation of materials capable of physically responding to specific stimuli. Achieving the desired responsiveness has been much facilitated by recent developments in synthetic polymer chemistry, in particular controlled synthesis and backbone functionalization phosphorusbased polymers, in order to achieve the required properties and hence responsiveness of the materials. The development of phosphorusbased polymers which respond to the most important stimuli are discussed, namely, pH, oxidation, reduction, temperature and biological triggers. The polymers are placed in the context not just of each other but also with reference to stateoftheart organic polymers.P 27410N28(VLID)340306