Preparation of supramolecular polymers containing quadruple hydrogen bonding units in the polymer backbone

A process for the preparation of a supramolecular polymer comprising quadruple hydrogen bonding units within the polymer backbone, wherein at least a monomer comprising a 4H unit is incorporated in the polymer backbone via two to four reactive groups, and the 4H units are incorporated in the polymer backbone by two covalent bonds, the process comprising reacting in a bulk polymerization a monomeric unit (a) having a structure according to the following formulae:

• F1-4H*—F1 or F1-4H*—F2
• with a macromonomeric unit (b) having a structure according to formula (V):
• P—(Fi)s (V)
• wherein
• s is 2-6, and
• P represents a polymer chain having a number average molecular weight of 100 to 100,000;
• and
• wherein the 4H* unit is represented by formula (VIIa) and (VIIb), and tautomers and/or enantiomers thereof:
• wherein the 4H* unit is connected to F1 via R1 and to F1 or F2 via R3,
• wherein R2 is a random side chain or a hydrogen atom, the random side chain being a linear, cyclic or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 7 carbon atoms,
• X is a nitrogen atom or a carbon atom to which a group R4 is attached,
• R1-R4 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and shorter or longer chains, the longer and shorter chains being selected from the group consisting of saturated or unsaturated, branched, cyclic or linear alkyl chains, aryl chains, alkaryl chains, arylalkyl chains, ester chains and ether chains.