An old polymer class revisited: Versatile, degradable, non-alternating polyketones

Commercial plastics are essential to our society; however, they persist in the environment due to their chemical inertness. Plastic pollution causes serious environmental problems, necessitating new, sustainable strategies to break them down. Developing degradable materials that will decompose in the environment is of immense interest. However, these materials must also be of commercial relevance, and easily degradable polymers often do not display the necessary physical properties. This perspective will highlight one of these polymer classes: non-alternating polyketones. Historical perspective on the original synthesis and recent advances for synthesizing these materials highlight the longstanding interest in these polymers. Additionally, post-polymerization modifications and photodegradation studies will provide context for the potential applications of these interesting polymers.