The Rise of Gallol Chemistry in Polymer Science: Design Principles and Multifunctional Applications

Abstract Gallol pendant polymers have become a highly adaptable class of bioinspired materials with significant potential in biomedical applications and other advanced functional materials by translating the multifunctionality of naturally occurring polyphenols into synthetic polymer systems. Using a variety of polymerization techniques, such as controlled radical polymerization, supramolecular assembly, and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), this review highlights current developments in the architectural design and synthesis of gallol-functionalized polymers. The structure–property relationships arising from gallol density, polymer backbone, and network architecture are critically discussed in the context of key applications. Particular emphasis is placed on antioxidant and antibacterial protective systems, biomedical materials and drug delivery platforms, surface engineering and coatings, and metal coordination and scavenging. Compared with catechol-based analogues, gallol-containing polymers consistently exhibit superior performance across these application domains owing to their higher phenolic hydroxyl density and dynamic coordination capability. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities for gallol-based polymeric materials are outlined, highlighting their potential for next-generation multifunctional sustainable material systems.