Key progresses of MOE key laboratory of macromolecular synthesis and functionalization in 2020

In 2020, the MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization in Zhejiang University had made progresses in several aspects. First, a series of metal-free organoboron catalysts had been designed and synthesized facilely, exhibiting outstanding reactivity, thermalstability and productivity in different kinds of polymerization and cycloaddition reactions. Second, a variety of chalcogen (O, S, Se)-rich polymers had been synthesized via organocatalysis and fabricated to be the ionic conductive and photoluminescent materials. Third, diverse microenvironment-sensitive nanoparticles had been designed, and novel strategies had been realized, to enhance the therapeutic efficacy in cancer as well as biofilm-associated infections. Fourth, m6A modification on cellular transcriptome-wide messenger RNA had been successfully mapped at single base resolution using a metabolic labeling method. Fifth, a hydrogel-based robot had been developed, showing swift locomotion as a response to dynamic light stimulations. Sixth, the conformation-size scaling law and the conformation evolution map of 2D macromolecules in solution had been elucidated experimentally, in the single-layer graphene oxide model. Seventh, semitransparent polymer solar cells, promising as building-integrated photovoltaics, have been developed with the fine balance among power conversion efficiency, visible light transparency and infrared photon radiation rejection. Finally, long-range ordered bulk-heterojunctions of organic semiconductors had been achieved, and their superior optoelectronic properties and potential application in photoelectric conversion had been revealed. The related work progresses are reviewed in this paper. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Automated summary

The MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization at Zhejiang University made significant progress in various areas in 2020. These include the design and synthesis of metal-free organoboron catalysts, the synthesis of chalcogen-rich polymers, the design of microenvironment-sensitive nanoparticles, the mapping of m6A modification on cellular transcriptome-wide messenger RNA, the development of a hydrogel-based robot, the elucidation of the conformation-size scaling law of 2D macromolecules in solution, the development of semitransparent polymer solar cells, and the achievement of long-range ordered bulk-heterojunctions of organic semiconductors. The related work progresses are reviewed in this paper.