Interlocking degradation of vinyl polymers via main-chain C-C bonds scission by introducing pendant-responsive comonomers

Degradation of vinyl polymers remains a challenge because of the robust main-chain C-C bonds. In this study, we designed novel pendant-responsive comonomers with a carbon-halogen bond, which can be copolymerized with vinyl monomers to enable facile degradation of the C-C backbone upon triggering stimulus. The comonomer unit was designed to induce interlocking degradation, that is, it first generates side-chain radical upon trigger, subsequently provides a main-chain radical via intramolecular 1,5-shift, and then finally causes the main-chain cleavage via beta-scission. A remarkable decrease in molecular weight was observed when the obtained copolymer was treated with a copper catalyst, and the effect of polymer structure was assessed on the interlocking degradation behavior.