Disulphide-Thiol Chemistry: A Multi-Faceted Tool for Macromolecular Design and Synthesis of Polyfunctional Materials for Specialized Drug Delivery

This review highlights recent interests and applications of disulphide and thiol chemistry in creating contemporary macromolecular designs. Due to the chemical nature of disulphides and thiols a wide range of chemical species react with these functional groups to yield a variety of polymers extending their applications in chemical, biological, physical, material engineering and material sciences. The review aims to illustrate the versatility and demonstrate the potential of thiol-based chemistries. The focus is on exploring bio-cleavable disulphides and linking by “clicking” thiols via thiol/other functional group exchange reactions. Thiol synthesis, modification and functionalization are demonstrated to be highly attractive and efficient in polymer and material science which in turn have immense application in biological therapeutics and drug delivery. The review also illustrates the remarkable pliability of synthetic and natural approaches to designing, optimizing and functionalizing nanostructures and conjugates by thiol chermistry modification. The examples quoted in the review illustrate the power and versatility of thiols for site specific functionalization, the construction of complex macromolecules and the generation of both biodegradable disulphides and non-biodegradable bonds which are the tools for constructing specific therapeutic/drug delivery systems. In addition, the ability of thiols to react with various functional groups found in a variety of polymer science materials and biological entities such as peptide and related structures will also be demonstrated. Despite of the fact that research efforts in thiol chemistry are still at the early stages, it is likely that its true potential will be developed.