Photo-reversible dimerisation reactions and their applications in polymeric systems

Photo-dimerisation reactions that can be reversed upon application of an appropriate wavelength of light have generated a considerable interest in the development of new photo-responsive polymeric systems for diverse applications. The incorporation of photo-dimerisable moieties into polymers allows the fabrication of various polymer architectures with an added advantage of reversibility. This review focuses on polymeric systems that exploit photo-reversible dimerisation reactions and their applications.