Polymers with Upper Critical Solution Temperature in Aqueous Solution: Unexpected Properties from Known Building Blocks

Polymers showing an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in aqueous solution were not rare, but the UCST was rarely observed under practically relevant conditions. Recently, much progress has been made in the synthesis of polymer systems that display UCST behavior under mild and physiologic conditions. Current developments focus on polymers that rely on hydrogen bonding. This viewpoint explains the historical context, presents the major properties, and concludes with a discussion of the most recent examples.