Erasable and rewritable digital polymers based on oligo(γ-butyrolactone)s

In the realm of macromolecular data storage, it has been established that digital information can be encoded within digital polymers (DPs). Nonetheless, the utility of these polymers is limited by difficulties in erasing and rewriting data, stemming from their fixed monomer sequences after synthesis. In this study, we introduce the first fully erasable, rewritable, and editable digital polymer, named digital oligo(γ-butyrolactone)s (DOBLs). DOBLs facilitate the erasing of encoded data through optimized unzipping depolymerization, reverting to the original monomers for resynthesis of new DOBLs with different information. This innovative recycling feature enables a polymer editing process comparable to “Cut” and “Paste” in digital contexts, allowing segments to be excised, resynthesized and reattached within the same polymer chain. This breakthrough not only transforms the digital information stored but also alters the physical characteristics, representing a significant advancement in the development of digital polymers. A fully erasable, rewritable, and editable digital polymers, which refer to as digital oligo(γ-butyrolactone)s (DOBLs). The feasibility of depolymerizing DOBLs back into original monomers, which can subsequently be reassembled into new DOBLs, thereby enabling the erasure and rewriting processes. Additionally, this groundbreaking recycling capability allows for a polymer editing process akin to the “Cut” and “Paste” functions in digital environments, permitting the deletion, resynthesis, and reattachment of segments within the same polymer strand.