Bergman cyclization of enediyne-based polymers in solution and the solid state

Abstract

This cumulative thesis presents the synthesis and application of three novel enediyne (EDY)-based polymers driven by Bergman cyclization (BC). The first system involves main-chain EDY polyimines showing DNA cleavage activity tunable by chain length and substitution pattern. The second is an EDY-based polyurethane elastomer, where thermal or mechanical activation induces strain-hardening via BC-triggered crosslinking. The third introduces a BC-driven, initiator-free synthesis of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. These results highlight the versatile role of EDY motifs in polymer design for functional materials.