Preparation and Catalytic Properties of a Ru(II) Coordinated Polyimide Supported by a Ligand Containing Terpyridine Units

The synthesis of terpyridine-based polyimide catalysis for hydrosilylation reaction is outlined in this work. 5,5''-Bis(bromomethyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine was polymerized with the corresponding diimide derivatives of dianhyrides to give polyimides utilizing the terpyridine unit in the main chain. The synthesis of polyimides containing Ru(II) complexes in the side chain is described. Condensation polymerization is used to synthesize the macromolecular backbone and, as a result, the Ru(II) complex was attached via coordination chemistry. The material design emphasizes the relationship between the molecular structure and supramolecular organization of these polymers. It demonstrates that terpyridyl complexes remain a versatile functionality for constructing supramolecular assemblies. The terpyridine unit may enhance the electron carrier mobility of the polymers, while the incorporation of ruthenium complexes into a conjugated polymer significantly changes the catalytic properties of the resulting polymers. The prepared polyimide-supported catalyst provides superior catalytic activity (70-79%), selectivity and stability in the hydrosilylation of acetophenone. The catalyst can be easily isolated from the reaction product, which benefits recycling. The catalysts were reused for four experiments.