Polyferrocenylsilanes: Metal-containing polymers for materials science, self-assembly and nanostructure applications

Abstract

Polyferrocenylsilanes represent a recently established, readily accessible class of transition metal-containing macromolecules consisting of alternating ferrocene and organosilane units. High molecular weight, soluble samples of these materials were first prepared in the early 1990's by thermal ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of silicon-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes ([1]silaferrocenophanes). More recently living anionic and transition metal-catalyzed ROP methodologies have been developed, which permit unprecedented access to controlled polymer architectures (e.g. block copolymers) with transition metals in the main chain. Polyferrocenylsilane homopolymers and block copolymers offer exciting opportunities in materials and supramolecular science and for nanostructure applications. In this article some recent research areas are discussed which illustrate the broad scope of these interesting new materials.