Side-chain functionalized polymers containing bipyridine coordination sites: Polymerization and metal-coordination studies

Monomers containing (trisbipyridine) ruthenium(II), (bisbipyridine) palladium(II), and heteroleptic ruthenium complexes were synthesized and polymerized via ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization in nonpolar solvents. The solubility of the resulting polyelectrolytes in nonpolar solutions could be tuned by alkyl functionalization of the ligands around the metal centers. These polymers are the first polynorbornenes containing a 2,2'-bipyridine-based metal complex at each repeating unit and might be used in numerous applications, including luminescent and electroluminescent materials. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.