Polymer Interfaces: Synthetic Strategies Enabling Functionality, Adaptivity, and Spatial Control

Polymer interfaces are ubiquitous in Nature and technology. Equipping artificial polymer-based interfaces with highly defined functions requires advanced macromolecular chemistry and powerful chemical tools. In this Perspective, we explore the nature of anisotropic - i.e., spatially resolved - polymer interfaces prepared via top-down and bottom-up approaches with selected examples from the recent literature. These range from self-assembly driven systems based on single polymer chains and block copolymers to lithographic encoding able to span wide spatial dimensions of patterning. Based thereon, we formulate the in our opinion required advances in polymer chemistry that will contribute significantly to preparing the next generation of structured interfaces. Among others, this includes the to-date limited orthogonality of parallelly executed ligation reactions as well as limits in λ-orthogonally addressable pericyclic ligation chemistry. Finally, we propose some long-term visions for not yet existing - however currently sought - technology that could drive interactive and adaptive polymer interface construction to new levels. These include the spatially resolved encoding of interfaces with molecular precision and the introduction of programmable properties to interfaces of varying shape and chemical complexity. © 2016 American Chemical Society.