Advancing the solid state properties of metallo-supramolecular materials: Poly(+µ-caprolactone) modified Ï€-conjugated bis(terpyridine)s and their Zn(II) based metallo-polymers

A set of rigid Ï€-conjugated bis(terpyridine) macroligands with poly(+µ-caprolactone) (pCL) on their side chains was synthesized and investigated. The introduced pCL chains gave rise to enhanced processability and film-forming properties of the materials. Blue photoluminescence with high quantum yields was observed in dilute solution and in the solid state, indicating that intermolecular aggregation of the Ï€-conjugated systems was effectively suppressed. The macroligands were further used for coordination with zinc(II) ions leading to new metallo-polymers with high solubility, improved film-forming behavior and promising photo-physical properties with respect to potential OLED applications. -© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGa