Mechanochemical remodeling of synthetic polymers

In the past five years, the field of covalent polymer mechanochemistry has experienced a renaissance. Once limited to the simple scission of polymer chains, mechanical force can now be used to produce a wide array of productive chemistry. These outcomes have both challenged and supported classically held views of chemical reactivity. The impact of these findings has relevance in both synthetic chemistry and material science. Here, we review our efforts to exploit mechanochemical coupling to produce constructive and stress-responsive covalent chemistry in polymer materials.