Zn(II)-containing metallo-supramolecular polymers: synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties

Abstract

Two novel building blocks M1, M2 with different electronic structures, were synthesized based on 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine modified with cyano-p-phenylenevinylene (CN-PV) and carbazole moieties through Knoevenagel condensation and Suzuki coupling, respectively. Directed by transition metal ion Zn2+, the metallo-homopolymers P1, P2 and metallo-copolymer P3 were obtained via self-assembly polymerization. The structures of the monomers and metallo-supramolecular polymers were fully characterized by MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. Meanwhile, the UV–vis absorption, photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemical properties of these compounds were systematically investigated. With respect to that of the monomers, both the UV–vis absorption and PL spectra of the polymers are significantly red-shifted. The resulting metallo-supramolecular polymers show similar double absorption peaks (342, 418 nm for P1, 339, 410 nm for P2, and 332, 412 nm for P3), which is caused by the π–π* transition and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). Further, all the polymers display red-orange emission in toluene and narrow electrochemical energy gaps of 1.46, 1.65 and 1.48 eV for P1, P2, and P3, respectively.