Wavelength-selective light-matter interactions in polymer science

Throughout history, there have been several dramatic paradigm shifts in the understanding of light-matter interactions (Figure 1).1 In the 1700s, Newton passed sunlight through a prism and from this experiment deduced that light was a stream of particles. In the second half of the 19th century, Maxwell described light as electromagnetic waves using a set of elegant equations (Maxwell's equations). In 1905, Ein Light has emerged as a prominent stimulus to both generate and manipulate polymeric materials across multiple length scales. Compared with other external stimuli, light-mediated approaches enable unprecedented control over when and where chemical transformations occur (i.e., spatiotemporal control). To date, the majority of established protocols rely on individual wavelengths of light (= monochromatic), which does not harness the full potential of light-matter interactions. This review summarizes the nascent progress in utilizing multiple discrete wavelengths of light as a tool to create and alter soft matter. The concepts are structured in an effort to provide a roadmap to foster new directions in light-based polymer materials chemistry. The physical organic nature of wavelength selectivity is first detailed in the introduction to provide key mechanistic insight and lay a foundation for further developments. Next, an overview of chromophores that undergo various light-driven transformations is presented, followed by their utility in polymer platforms for controlled synthesis, property manipulation, and advanced manufacturing. The review concludes with a summary and outlook on the exciting future of wavelength-selective lightmatter interactions in polymer science.

Automated summary

Throughout history, there have been significant paradigm shifts in the understanding of light-matter interactions, from Newton's particle theory to Maxwell's electromagnetic wave theory, and then to Einstein's quantum theory of light.