Synthetic polymers and methods of making and using the same

1. A polymer having a structure meeting a formula:

wherein

each T and T f is a terminal group independently selected from amine, hydroxyl, thiol, hydrogen; heteroaliphatic having 1, 2, 4, 5, or 7-10 carbon atoms; aliphatic; aryl; heteroaryl; aliphatic-aryl; aliphatic-heteroaryl; heteroaliphatic-aryl; or heteroaliphatic-heteroaryl;

each R 1 and R f independently are selected from hydrogen, heteroaliphatic, aliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, aliphatic-aryl, aliphatic-heteroaryl, heteroaliphatic-aryl, or heteroaliphatic-heteroaryl;

each Y 1 and Y f independently are selected from a bond, C(R 4 ) 2 , oxygen, sulfur, or NR 4 , wherein each R 4 independently is selected from hydrogen, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, or heteroaryl;

each W 1 independently is selected from —C(R 4 ) 2 , oxygen, sulfur, or NR 4 , wherein each R 4 independently is selected from hydrogen, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, or heteroaryl;

each Z 1 independently is selected from heteroaryl, oxygen, sulfur, or NR 4 , wherein R 4 is selected from hydrogen, aliphatic, cyclic heteroaliphatic comprising one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, sulfur, selenium, phosphorous, or oxidized forms thereof, acyclic heteroaliphatic, heteroaryl, or aryl;

each L 1 independently is selected from aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, carbosilane, silane, siloxane, polycarbosilane, polysilane, or polysiloxane;

m ranges from 2 to 1000;

p is 1; and

at least one of T or T f is different from a W 1 -L 1 -Z 1 linker section of the polymer.

2. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 and R f is hydrogen bound to Y 1 or Y f , respectively, with Y 1 or Y f being a bond that binds R 1 or R f to a triazine ring of the polymer.

3. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 and R f is hydrogen bound to Y 1 or Y f , respectively, with Y 1 or Y f being oxygen, sulfur, or —NH.

4. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 and R f is aliphatic bound to Y 1 or Y f , respectively, with Y 1 or Y f being oxygen, sulfur, or —NH.

5. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein each W 1 and each Z 1 independently is selected from —NH, S, or O.

6. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein each of L 1 independently is aliphatic.

7. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein T and T f independently are selected from —NH 2 ; —NHR b ; —NR b R c —SH; —SR b ; —OH; or —OR b ; wherein each R b and R c independently is selected from aliphatic or aryl.

8. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein each R 1 and R f independently is selected from phenyl, benzyl, halogen-substituted benzyl, dimethoxy-substituted benzyl, C 2-25 thiol, C 2-25 hydroxyl, or C 2-25 amine.

9. The polymer of claim 1 , having a structure selected from:

10. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is assembled in the form of a membrane, an amorphous particle, a crystal, or a nanorod wherein a backbone of the polymer interacts to create a columnar structure and side chains of the polymer project outward from the column.

11. A plurality of polymers comprising two or more polymers of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more polymers of claim 1 are the same or different and are assembled in the form of a nanorod wherein side chains of a polymer interacts with side chains of another polymer to form the nanorod.

12. The plurality of polymers according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of polymers is monodisperse, sequence-defined, or a combination thereof.

13. A polymer having a structure meeting a formula:

wherein

each T and T f independently is selected from hydrogen, amine, hydroxyl, thiol, or heteroaliphatic having 1, 2, 4, 5, or 7-10 carbon atoms;

R 1 , each R n , and R f independently is selected from hydrogen, heteroaliphatic, aliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, aliphatic-aryl, aliphatic-heteroaryl, heteroaliphatic-aryl, or heteroaliphatic-heteroaryl;

Y 1 , each Y p , and Y f independently is selected from a bond, —C(R 4 ) 2 —, oxygen, sulfur, or NR 4 , wherein each R 4 independently is selected from hydrogen, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, or heteroaryl and wherein;

W 1 and each W a independently is selected from —C(R 4 ) 2 , oxygen, sulfur, or NR 4 , wherein each R 4 independently is selected from hydrogen, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, or heteroaryl;

Z 1 and each Z b independently is selected from heteroaryl, oxygen, sulfur, or NR 4 , wherein R 4 is selected from hydrogen, aliphatic, cyclic heteroaliphatic comprising one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, sulfur, selenium, phosphorous, or oxidized forms thereof, acyclic heteroaliphatic, heteroaryl, or aryl;

L 1 and each L q independently is selected from aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, carbosilane, silane, siloxane, polycarbosilane, polysilane, or polysiloxane;

m ranges from 2 to 1000;

p is 1 or 0;

provided that when p is 1, then at least one of T or T f is different from a W 1 -L 1 -Z 1 or W a -L q -Z b linker section of the polymer; and

provided that when p is 0 then at least one of R 1 , Y 1 , W 1 , Z 1 , or L 1 is different from at least one R n , Y p , W a , Z b , or L q , respectively; and (i) any one or more of R 1 or R n are not hydrogen if Y 1 or Y p is NR 4 where R 4 is hydrogen and any one or more of L 1 or L q is phenyl; (ii) any one or more of R 1 or R n are not hydrogen if Y 1 or Y p is NR 4 where R 4 is hydrogen; (iii) any one or more of W 1 or W a is O; or (iv) any one or more of L 1 or L q is —CH 2 —C(4-decyloxybenzyl) 2 -CH 2 —; and any one of Z 1 or Z b is —NH.

14. The polymer of claim 13 , wherein T and T f independently are selected from —NH 2 ; —NHR b ; —NR b R c —SH; —SR b ; —OH; or —OR b ; wherein each R b and R c independently is selected from aliphatic or aryl.

15. The polymer of claim 13 , wherein T and T f independently are selected from NH 2 , —NHMe, —N(CH 2 ) 2 NH 2 , —SH, —SMe, —OH, or —OMe.

16. The polymer of claim 13 , wherein each R 1 and R f independently is selected from phenyl, benzyl, halogen-substituted benzyl, dimethoxy-substituted benzyl, C 2-25 thiol, C 2-25 hydroxyl, or C 2-25 amine.

17. The polymer of claim 13 , wherein the polymer is assembled in the form of a membrane, an amorphous particle, a crystal, or a nanorod wherein a backbone of the polymer interacts to create a columnar structure and side chains of the polymer project outward from the column.

18. A plurality of polymers comprising two or more polymers of claim 13 , wherein each of the two or more polymers of claim 13 are the same or different and are assembled in the form of a nanorod wherein side chains of a polymer interacts with side chains of another polymer to form the nanorod.

19. The plurality of polymers according to claim 18 , wherein the plurality of polymers is monodisperse, sequence-defined, or a combination thereof.