Studying the Role of Bridging Ligands in Organometallic Nanoparticles

Polymers are one of the most important classes of materials in the modern life. The demand for specific and controlled properties of polymers has encouraged the development of various techniques for their controlled polymerization and cross-linking. In recent years the field of single chain organic nanoparticles has attracted the interest of the scientific community due to their promising applications and ease of synthesis.¹ By coordinating metals to a binding polymer matrix under dilute conditions, intramolecular cross-linking could be achieved, leading to single chain collapse and the formation of organometallic nanoparticles (ONPs).²

Polycyclooctadiene (PCOD) and polybutadiene (PBD) can coordinate rhodium chloride dimer complexes, leading to a change in the polymer`s properties; e.g. its conductivity.² Our current study focuses on the effect of the anion bridging ligands in the electronic properties of the ONPs. This work may enable a deeper understanding of the conductivity mechanism and furnish a series of new ONPs with potentially novel applications.

References:

1. a)Mavila, S.; Eivgi, O.; Berkovich, I.; Lemcoff, N.G., Intramolecular Cross- Linking Methodologies for the Synthesis of Polymer Nanoparticles, Chem. Rev., 2016,116, 878–961.b) Berkovich I., Kobernik V., Guidone S., Lemcoff N.G., Metal Containing Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles in Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, Simulations, and Applications; Pomposo Jose A., Ed.; Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KgaA: Weinheim, 2017, chap.6, 217-259.
2. a) Mavila S.; Diesendruck C.E.; Linde S.; Amir L.; Shikler R.; Lemcoff N.G., Polycyclooctadiene complexes of rhodium (I): direct access to organometallic nanoparticles, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 5767-5770. b) Mavila S.; Rozenberg I.; Lemcoff N.G., A General Approach to Mono- and Bimetallic Organometallic Nanoparticles, Chem. Sci., 2014, 5, 4196-4203. c) Berkovic I.; Mavila S.; Iliashevsky O.; Kozuch S.; Lemcoff N.G., Single chain polybutadiene organometallic nanoparticles: an experimental and theoretical study, Chem. Sci. 2016, 7, 1773-1778.