Novel photoactive transition metal catalysts for the UV-Light-Triggered Metathesis Polymerization of Functional Monomers

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael R. Buchmeiser
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2006 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 25106151

This project aims on the synthesis of novel ruthenium-based metal complexes that shall serve as photo-active precursors for metathesis catalysts. These organometallic compounds shall be based on Ru-N-heterocyclic carbenes with additional ligands that can be selectively removed upon irradiation with UV-light (¿ < 300 nm). Important enough and in contrast to (few) existing systems, these precursor compounds shall be stable at temperatures up to 45°C and to irradiation with visible light (¿ > 300 nm). Complexes activated by light with ¿ < 300 nm shall be exposed to strained olefins such as functional norborn-2-enes and cyclooctenes to form ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) active catalysts. Complementary, the activated complexes shall be reacted with various functional 1,6-heptadiynes to form cyclopolymerization active species to gain access to semiconducting and conducting species. Investigations on the mechanism of activation as well as kinetic measurements shall be carried out. Finally, the novel systems shall be used to create x/y-resolved surface-immobilized polymer brushes as well as x/y-resolved surface-bound (semi-) conducting polymers layers and wires. These shall be used for the realization of bioanalytic devices, e.g. for DNA analysis. Conductive layers shall be used for the construction of (semi-) conducting polymer layers.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants