Synthetic phosphorus chemistry: the systematic development of organophosphorus molecules and polymers

新技术依靠研究人员的创造力来开发具有独特性能和功能的设计材料。例如，聚合物科学的最新进展已经导致用于LED显示器、药物输送和可生物降解食品包装的材料。上述许多基于聚合物的产品都来自于好奇心驱动的基础研究。聚合物的性质和应用是构成链结构的原子的排列和类型的直接结果。目前使用的大多数聚合物由含有碳、氧和/或氮原子的链组成。由其他元素组成的聚合物的发展还处于起步阶段，然而，由于异质元素赋予材料的独特性质，这些所谓的无机聚合物有相当大的前景。

New technologies rely upon the creativity of researchers to develop designer materials with unique properties and function. For example, recent advances in polymer science have led to materials for LED displays, drug delivery and biodegradable food packaging. Many of the above polymer-based products were derived from fundamental curiosity driven research. The properties and applications for a polymer are a direct consequence of the arrangement and type of atoms that make up the chain structure. Most polymers in use today are composed of chains containing of carbon, oxygen, and/or nitrogen atoms. The development of polymers composed of other elements is at its infancy, however, there is considerable promise for these so-called inorganic polymers because of the unique properties imparted to the materials by heteroelements.