Poly(ß-thioether ester) compositions, methods of making the poly(ß-thioether ester) compositions, and methods of using the poly(ß-thioether ester) compositions are provided. The poly(ß-thioether ester) can be produced by contacting a thiol ester composition and an a,ß-unsaturated ester to produce a mixture and then heating the mixture to produce the poly(ß-thioether ester). In some embodiments, the thiol ester compositions include thiol esters, hydroxy thiol esters, and cross-linked thiol esters.