PAEs with Novel Structures and Topologies

The most vibrant development in the field of PAEs is the explosion of their structural features. There are conceptually different ways of how to vary PAE structures. The first approach deals only with PPEs, and the structural modification is introduced by the variation of the side chains. This concept is powerful for introducing macromolecular, amphiphilic, water-soluble, selfassembling, or protective side chains. In most cases, however, the electronic structure of the PPE is untouched. There are exceptions. If the substituent under consideration is conjugated, it will change the electronics of the backbone. Examples of this kind have been prepared by the Bunz and the Swager groups [24,25]. 

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