Ruthenium and nickel complexes of a π-conjugated electrically conducting polymer chelate ligand, poly(2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-diyl), and their chemical and catalytic reactivity

Poly(2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-diyl)(PBpy), a π-conjugated electrically conducting chelate polymer, forms electrochemically active complexes with Ru and Ni; a cyclic voltammogram of the Ru-complex shows redox peaks which are accounted for by assuming electron exchange between the Ru species through the polymer backbone, and a RuCl3–PBpy system serves as an excellent catalyst for photoevolution of hydrogen in an aqueous medium.