Recent advances in luminescent transition metal polyyne polymers

This review briefly summarizes research work carried out by the author in the past decade on rigid-rod transition metal polyyne polymers and their molecular precursors. The research involves the synthesis, spectroscopic and photophysical characterization, ligand functionalization, and possible optoelectronic applications of transition metal polyyne polymers. Herein, oligomeric and polymeric metal alkynyl systems of the late transition metals are discussed, and particular attention is focused on the electronic absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence behavior, thermal stability and structural aspects of these polymetallaynes. A detailed account of the evolution of the first excited singlet and triplet state on the electronic structure of the organic spacer groups of these metal polyyne polymers is also given and the interplaying factors that govern the spatial extent of the lowest-lying singlet and triplet energy levels for the chemical tailoring of the singlet - triplet gap are elucidated. The possible developments of this research are also envisaged.