Self‐assembled free‐floating nanomaterials from sequence‐defined polymers

A Field Guide to Optimizing Peptoid Synthesis

N-Substituted glycines (peptoids) are a class of peptidomimetic molecules used as materials for health, environmental, and drug delivery applications. Automated solid-phase synthesis is the most widely used approach for preparing polypeptoids, with a range of published protocols and modifications for selected synthetic targets. Simultaneously, emerging solution-phase syntheses are being leveraged to overcome limitations in solid-phase synthesis and access high-molecular weight polypeptoids. This Perspective aims to outline strategies for the optimization of both solid- and solution-phase synthesis, provide technical considerations for robotic synthesizers, and offer an outlook on advances in synthetic methodologies. The solid-phase synthesis sections explore steps for protocol optimization, accessing complex side chains, and adaptation to robotic synthesizers; the sections on solution-phase synthesis cover the selection of initiators, side chain compatibility, and strategies for controlling polymerization efficiency and scale. This text acts as a "field guide" for researchers aiming to leverage the flexibility and adaptability of peptoids in their research.

Mechanistic Insights into the Pressure-Induced Polymerization of Aryl/Perfluoroaryl Co-Crystals

Recently discovered diamond nanothreads offer a stiff, sp3-hybridized backbone unachievable in conventional polymer synthesis that is formed through the solid-state pressure-induced polymerization of simple aromatics. This method enables monomeric A-B...