Diselenide–yne chemistry for selenium-containing linear polymer modification

The design and synthesis of selenium-containing polymers with multiple topological structures and functions for smart materials have always been fascinating in the field of polymer synthesis. In this work, diselenide–yne chemistry for selenium-containing linear polymer modification was established. Many types of diselenide-containing linear polymers were used as versatile platforms for this chemistry. Diverse functional groups could be installed into the polymer backbone and side chains. The degree of functionalization could be controlled and reached up to 98%. After post modification, the polymers also exhibited a sensitive oxidative response. Moreover, selenium-containing polymer brushes with diverse functions could be constructed by the “grafting from” strategy, and the side chain lengths could be tuned easily by controlling the degree of polymerization. To our delight, the brush polymer (EGIn-g-PDMAEMA) showed potential for application in gene transfection. In short, we introduced different functional groups and functional chain segments into selenium-containing polymers through diselenide–yne chemistry, which enriches the topological structures and functions of selenium-containing polymers.