Exploiting Random Polymers as Functional-Group-Selective Catalysts with Structural Adaptability

The design of artificial selective catalysts that function effectively across structurally diverse substrates remains a long-standing challenge. In this study, we demonstrate that a random heteropolymer, synthesized via radical polymerization, can function as a general catalyst for the selective epoxidation of structurally diverse olefinic quaternary ammonium salts. This three-monomer-based polymer catalyst exhibits exceptional functional-group selectivity and remarkable structural adaptability that cannot be achieved by conventional small-molecule catalysts. Beyond reusability, our approach highlights the often-overlooked advantages of polymer catalysis, paving the way for its application in a broad spectrum of selective chemical transformations.