INS1-0383
Facile Construction of Metallosupramolecular Block Copolymers through Complementary Ligand Pairing
Topic
S1. Polymer Synthesis
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
11:10 - 11:35
Room 101
Session Chairs
Jeewoo LIM
Presenter(s)
Yi Tsu Chan (National Taiwan University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
The synthesis of precisely defined block copolymers remains challenging. To address this issue, a complementary complexation strategy based on 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (tpy)-derived ligands and Zn(II) ions was developed for the facile construction of metallosupramolecular block copolymers. The highly selective metal–ligand coordination process was unambiguously confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. By introducing sterically hindered substituents at the 6,6″-positions of the tpy unit, undesired homoleptic complexation was effectively suppressed, while favorable π-stacking interactions further promoted the exclusive formation of the desired heteroleptic complexes. This coordination-driven supramolecular strategy, conceptually analogous to click chemistry, enabled the efficient preparation of a variety of block copolymers, including P3HT-b-PEO, P3HT-b-PS, P3HT-b-PnBA, and PLA-b-PEO. Notably, the dynamic and labile metal–ligand junctions between polymer blocks allowed the self-assembled nanostructures and phase-separated thin films to be precisely regulated through decomplexation–recomplexation processes, thereby imparting adaptive and dynamic functionalities to the resulting polymeric materials. This presentation will discuss the molecular design, synthetic strategy, structural characterization, and potential applications of these metallosupramolecular block copolymers, highlighting complementary ligand pairing as a powerful and versatile platform for the rational design of functional polymer architectures.
