Microwave-Assisted Polymer Modifications

Modern microwave synthesizers allow a detailed adjustment and control of temperature and power, such that many polymer modification reactions are performed nowadays using established synthesis protocols. This chapter provides a broad overview of post-polymerization modification reactions where these advantages are exploited for functionalization of synthetic and natural polymers. Selected examples are discussed in detail to demonstrate the versatility of the technique but also to address the challenges of screening approaches often applied to identify the optimum reaction conditions. While microwave synthesizers are regarded as efficient heating devices in the field of synthetic chemistry, selective heating of, for example, conjugated polymers has opened non-standard opportunities for the development of novel nanomaterials.