Metal‐Containing Polymers and Metallopolymers: A Special Issue Dedicated to Prof. George R. Newkome

Prof. George R. Newkome will celebrate his 80th birthday in November 2018. For this purpose, we dedicate a double special issue in Macromolecular Rapid Communications and Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics to this great chemist. Prof. George R. Newkome is one of the pioneers in dendrimer research, with contributions in the synthesis of arborols, and later, metallopolymers. Furthermore, in many ways he is an example of a “chemical artist” through his elegant design of special metal–ligand-based molecular architectures like macrocylces and molecular wheels. A full description of the achievements of Prof. George R. Newkome can be found in the special issue in Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, in which the editors provide a brief overview of the scientific contributions of George R. Newkome. With this double special issue, we decided to honor George by featuring research on metal-containing and metallo-supramolecular polymers – a field in which George has been one of the leading chemists over the last few decades. The special issue in Macromolecular Rapid Communications contains 12 contributions from different research groups around the world, showcasing the broad spectrum of different applications of metal-containing materials and polymers. Starting from the analysis of self-assembly behavior of metallopolymers, one major aspect discussed in the issue is the stimuli-responsiveness of metal–ligand interactions, making polymers useful for a wide range of applications like self-healing, biomedicine, and mechanical activation. Furthermore, metal complexes can feature interesting optical properties like phosphorescence that can be tuned by combination with polymers. All these aspects are addressed in the double special issue, which will provide an overview of recent developments in the field of metal-containing and metallo-supramolecular polymers. We hope that you enjoy reading, and we would like to congratulate George on his 80th birthday. Happy Birthday, George! Stefan Zechel Stephanie Schubert Ian Manners Ulrich S. Schubert