Polymers bearing pendant pentafluorophenyl ester groups, and methods of synthesis and functionalization thereof

A method, comprising:

• forming a first mixture comprising a catalyst, an initiator comprising a nucleophilic group selected from the group consisting of alcohols, amines, and thiols, an optional accelerator, an optional solvent, and a first cyclic carbonyl compound comprising a pentafluorophenyl ester group;
• and
• agitating the first mixture, thereby forming a first ROP polymer by ring opening polymerization of the first cyclic carbonyl compound, the first ROP polymer comprising a first polymer chain linked to a chain fragment derived from the initiator;
• wherein i) the chain fragment comprises a first backbone heteroatom derived from the nucleophilic group, the first backbone heteroatom linked to a first end unit of the first polymer chain, the first backbone heteroatom selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, ii) the first polymer chain comprises a second end unit comprising a nucleophilic group selected from the group consisting of hydroxy group, primary amine groups, secondary amine groups, and thiol group, and iii) the first polymer chain comprises a first repeat unit, the first repeat unit comprising a) a backbone functional group selected from the group consisting of carbonate, ureas, carbamates, thiocarbamates, thiocarbonate, and dithiocarbonate, and b) a tetrahedral backbone carbon, the tetrahedral backbone carbon being linked to a first side chain comprising a pentafluorophenyl ester group.