Synthesis and applications of conjugated main-chain charged polyelectrolytes

Conjugated main-chain charged polyelectrolytes (CMCPs) represent an important class of functional polymeric materials exhibiting distinctive structures and properties. By merging the advantages of conjugated polymers with the charge modulation capabilities of electrolytes, CMCPs have found wide applications in different fields and have garnered considerable interest across multiple disciplines such as chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, and biomedicine. In this review, we emphasize the progress in the synthetic strategies of different types of CMCPs, including pyridinium-containing CMCPs, imidazolium-containing CMCPs, and other related structures. Furthermore, the applications of CMCPs in antimicrobial reagents, fluorescence sensing, fluorescence imaging, cancer cell killing, and fiber preparation are also introduced. To provide insights into the development of novel CMCPs with advanced functionalities, the current challenges and future prospects in this field are addressed at the end of this review.