Photo-controlled Growth of Telechelic Polymers and End-linked Polymer Gels.

Growing pores: Exposure of a bis‐norbornene trithiocarbonate to long‐wavelength UV light, or sunlight, in the presence of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NiPAAm) led to well‐defined norbornene–telechelic poly(NiPAAm) macromers. The macromers were end‐linked with a tris‐tetrazine via inverse‐electron‐demand Diels–Alder cycloaddition to generate polymer gels. Addition of new monomer, followed by exposure to sunlight, led to “photo‐growth” of the network pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]