JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground
JavaScript
var childString = '[{title: "Item 1"},{title: "Folder 2", isFolder: true,children: [{title: "Sub-item 2.1"},{title: "Sub-item 2.2"}]},{title: "Item 3"}]';
var childArray = JSON.parse(childString.replace(/([{, ])([a-zA-Z0-9]+):/g, '$1"$2":'));
document.write(childArray.join(','))