Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.29, No.20, 1640-1647, 2008
Thermosensitive and Switchable Terpyridine-Functionalized Metallo-Supramolecular Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
Metallo-supramolecular polymers offer attractive possibilities to combine the properties of polymers with the characteristics offered by the metal-ligand coordination. Here we present for the first time the combination of metal-bis(terpyridine) complexes and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) polymers that can be switched by addressing either the thermo-sensitive polymer or the metal complex. We describe a new strategy for the synthesis of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) end functionalized with a terpyridine moiety, which is further used for the preparation of Fe-II and Zn-II-bis(terpyridine PNIPAM). The comparison of the LCST behavior of the uncomplexed ligands and their metal complexes that bear different counter ions is included. Furthermore, the switchability of the synthesized Fe-II system is demonstrated by a decomplexation reaction followed by the characterization of the uncomplexed ligand.
Keywords:LCST polymers;metal-polymer complexes;metal-ligand interactions;PNIPAM;self-healing materials;structure-property relations;terpyridine