Described herein are methods, compositions and articles of manufacture involving neutral conjugated polymers including methods for synthesis of neutral conjugated water-soluble polymers with linkers along the polymer main chain structure and terminal end capping units. Such polymers may serve in the fabrication of novel optoelectronic devices and in the development of highly efficient biosensors. The invention further relates to the application of these polymers in assay methods.

Disclosed are semiconducting or conducting organic small molecules, oligomers, and polymers that are based on a donor-acceptor strategy featuring heavy group 16 elements (Se and Te) at the core of acceptor unit(s). The small molecules, oligomers, and polymers can have the following generic structure and can be used in areas such as organic electronic materials and devices: ##STR00001##

Radical cascade reactions enabling sequence-controlled ring-closing polymerization and ring-opening polymerization for the controlled synthesis of polymers with complex main-chain structures are provided. Facile syntheses leading to low-strain macrocyclic monomers consisting of the ring-opening triggers and extended main-chain structures are also provided. The present disclosure further provides methods for excellent control over polymer molecular weights and molecular weight distributions and high chain-end fidelity allows for the preparation of polymeric systems with well-defined architectures. Further provided are the general nature of the radical cascade-triggered transformations in polymer chemistry, and its application to the synthesis of polymers with diverse main-chain structural motifs with tailored functions. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A temperature integrity sensor or more precisely a temperature continuity sensor of a product which needs to be kept at a temperature below its degradation temperature, is provided. The product includes a refrigerated or frozen edible product; a pharmaceutical product such as a vaccine, or an antibiotic; or a biological-medical product such as a sample of a body fluid or tissue, or an organ. The sensor is based on RFID technology, in particular passive RFID technology.