ELECTROSTATIC INTERACTION EFFECTS ON THE RATE OF REDUCTIVE POLYMERIZATION FOR VINYLBIPYRIDINE-CONTAINING METAL-COMPLEXES

A series of mixed ligand metal complexes containing the electrochemically polymerizable ligand 4-methyl-4'-vinyl-2,2'-bipyridine (vbpy) have been prepared and their electrochemical polymerization has been studied as a function of formal oxidation state. The complexes chosen for this study were initially either neutral or 1+ charged prior to electrochemical reduction. This is in contrast to previously studied complexes containing vbpy ligands, most of which have been initially 2+ charged. The results of this study confirm our earlier suggestion that the existence of a net electrostatic charge on polymerizing vbpy metal monomer complexes reduces the rate of electrochemically induced polymer formation.