From Atoms to Macromolecules: 100 Years of Polymer Research

In March 1920, Professor Hermann Staudinger coined the term “macromolecules” to explain the physicochemical behavior of different synthetic and natural polymers. Far from the skepticism of the scientific community, other researchers, such as Wallace Carothers, were able to explain not only the synthesis but also the chemical nature of synthetic polymers by considering Staudinger´s ideas. The Nobel Prize awarded to Staudinger in 1953 is one of the milestones of a new era in which polymers and polymer science would certainly change the world. In this review, the historical evolution of polymer chemistry and that of different synthetic methods to produce polymers with well-defined molecular architectures are discussed. Different synthetic methods are reviewed, from classical (ionic, condensation, and coordination) to recent ones (reversible activation/deactivation using nitroxides, transfer agents or metal complexes, conducting polymers, and meta thesis polymerization). This review is expected to be of interest not only to those involved in polymer science but also to others interested in the development of synthetic chemistry.