Thermosensitive and Switchable Terpyridine‐Functionalized Metallo‐Supramolecular Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)

Metallo‐supramolecular polymers offer attractive possibilities to combine the properties of polymers with the characteristics offered by the metal–ligand coordination. Here we present for the first time the combination of metal‐bis(terpyridine) complexes and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) polymers that can be switched by addressing either the thermosensitive polymer or the metal complex. We describe a new strategy for the synthesis of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) end functionalized with a terpyridine moiety, which is further used for the preparation of FeII and ZnII‐bis(terpyridine PNIPAM). The comparison of the LCST behavior of the uncomplexed ligands and their metal complexes that bear different counter ions is included. Furthermore, the switchability of the synthesized FeII system is demonstrated by a decomplexation reaction followed by the characterization of the uncomplexed ligand. magnified image