Patent ID: 7838621

Claim:
A supramolecular polymer comprising quadruple hydrogen bonding units within the polymer backbone, wherein at least a monomer comprising a 4H-unit is incorporated in the polymer backbone via at least two to four reactive groups, and the 4H-units are incorporated in the polymer backbone by two covalent bonds, wherein the monomeric unit (a) has a structure according to formula (III) or (IV): 4H-(F i ) r tm (III) 4H*-(F i ) r (IV) wherein F i comprises a reactive group linked to the 4H-unit or 4H*-unit; and r is2; wherein the monomeric unit (a) is represented by formula (VIa): wherein: the 4H-unit is connected to a reactive group (F 1 ) via R 1 and a reactive group (F 1 ) or (F 2 ) via R 2 , whereas R 3 is a random side chain or a hydrogen atom, the random side chain being a linear, cyclic or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 7 carbon atoms; or the 4H-unit is connected to a reactive group (F 1 ) via R 1 and to a reactive group (F 1 ) or (F 2 ) via R 3 , whereas R 2 is a random side chain or a hydrogen atom, the random side chain being a linear, cyclic or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 7 carbon atoms; or the 4H-unit is connected to two reactive groups (F i ) both via R 1 , whereas R 2 and R 3 are random side chain or hydrogen atoms, the random side chains being a linear, cyclic or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 7 carbon atoms; and wherein the monomeric unit (a) is represented by formula (VIIa): wherein: the 4H-unit is connected to a reactive group (F 1 ) via R 1 and a reactive group (F 1 ) or (F 2 ) via R 2 , whereas R 3 is a random side chain or a hydrogen atom, the random side chain being a linear, cyclic or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 7 carbon atoms; or the 4H-unit is connected to a reactive group (F 1 ) via R 1 and to a reactive group (F 1 ) or (F 2 ) via R 3 , whereas R 2 is a random side chain or a hydrogen atom, the random side chain being a linear, cyclic or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 7 carbon atoms; and wherein R 1 -R 3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and shorter or longer chains, the longer and shorter chains being selected from the group consisting of saturated or unsaturated, branched, cyclic or linear alkyl chains, aryl chains, alkaryl chains, arylalkyl chains, ester chains or ether chains.