Search

Metallocenes are organometallic compounds with reversible redox profiles and tunable oxidation and reduction potentials, depending on the metal and substituents at the cyclopentadienyl rings. Metallocenes have been introduced in macromolecules to combine the redox-activity with polymer properties. There are many examples of such hydrophobic polymer materials, but much fewer water-soluble examples are found scattered across the polymer literature. However, in terms of drug delivery and other biological applications, water solubility is essential. For this very reason, all the synthetic routes to water-soluble metallocene containing polymers are collected and discussed here. The focus is on neutral ferrocene- and ruthenocene-containing and charged cobaltocenium-containing macromolecules (i.e., symmetrical sandwich complexes). The synthetic protocols, self-assembly behavior, and other benefits of the obtained materials are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural macromolecules, i.e., sequence-controlled polymers, build the basis for life. In synthetic macromolecular chemistry, reliable tools for the formation of sequence-controlled macromolecules are rare. A robust and efficient chain-growth approach based on the simultaneous living anionic polymerization of sulfonamide-activated aziridines for sequence control of up to five competing monomers resulting in gradient copolymers is presented. The simultaneous azaanionic copolymerization is monitored by real-time 1H NMR spectroscopy for each monomer at any time during the reaction. The monomer sequence can be adjusted by the monomer reactivity, depending on the electron-withdrawing effect by the sulfonamide (nosyl-, brosyl-, tosyl-, mesyl-, busyl) groups. This method offers unique opportunities for sequence control by competing copolymerization: a step forward to well-engineered synthetic polymers with defined microstructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]