Sequence-Controlled Polymers

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 341; no. 6146; p. 628
• Main Authors: Lutz, Jean-François, Ouchi, Makoto, Liu, David R., Sawamoto, Mitsuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 09.08.2013; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Subjects: Biodegradation; Biopolymers; Biopolymers - chemistry; Catalysis; Chains (polymeric); Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; Copolymers; Data storage; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Directed Molecular Evolution - methods; DNA; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - chemistry; Exploitation; Heredity; Machinery; Materials; Molecular chains; Monomers; Nanotechnology; Nucleic acids; Nucleic Acids - biosynthesis; Nucleic Acids - chemical synthesis; Nucleic Acids - chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Polymerization; Polymers; Polymers - chemical synthesis; Polymers - chemistry; Regulatory sequences; REVIEW SUMMARY; Rigidity; Synthesis; Templates, Genetic; Variability
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1238149

Nature has achieved exquisite sequence control in the synthesis of polymers like DNA. In contrast, synthetic polymers rarely have the same fidelity in their chemistry or uniformity in chain-length distribution, especially when more than one monomer is involved. Lutz et al. ( 1238149 ) review the progress that has been made in making sequence-controlled polymers of increasing length and complexity. These developments have come from both advances in synthetic chemistry methods and the exploitation of biological machinery. Sequence-controlled polymers are macromolecules in which monomer units of different chemical nature are arranged in an ordered fashion. The most prominent examples are biological and have been studied and used primarily by molecular biologists and biochemists. However, recent progress in protein- and DNA-based nanotechnologies has shown the relevance of sequence-controlled polymers to nonbiological applications, including data storage, nanoelectronics, and catalysis. In addition, synthetic polymer chemistry has provided interesting routes for preparing nonnatural sequence-controlled polymers. Although these synthetic macromolecules do not yet compare in functional scope with their natural counterparts, they open up opportunities for controlling the structure, self-assembly, and macroscopic properties of polymer materials.