Furan-containing polymeric Materials: Harnessing the Diels-Alder chemistry for biomedical applications

Polymeric materials that can be readily modified with (bio)molecules of interest to render them suitable for intended applications are in demand for use in various areas of biomedical and materials science. Among various clickable reactive groups that can be incorporated into polymeric materials as handles for functionalization, ready availability, efficient reactivity under relatively mild conditions, as well as selectivity to specific functional groups makes the furan moiety an attractive choice. While the dynamic nature of furan-maleimide cycloadduct has been exploited for the fabrication of self-healing materials for decades, this reversibility has been only recently exploited to further expand the functional properties of polymeric materials. This review article focuses on recent examples that demonstrate that functional properties imparted to polymeric materials through incorporation of the furan group go beyond self-healing. Recent examples illustrating biomolecular immobilization, drug delivery/release, and dynamic material fabrication are highlighted to show the versatility of furan-containing polymeric materials in various biomedical applications.