Multistimuli, multiresponsive metallo-supramolecular polymers.

The use of metal ion-induced polymerizations of a ditopic ligand offers a facile route to the preparation of organic/inorganic hybrid materials. Such metallo-supramolecular polymers potentially offer the functionality of the metal ion along with the processibility of a polymer. We report, herein, the preparation of gellike metallo-supramolecular polymers prepared from a monomer unit, which consists of a 2,6-bis-(benzimidazolyl)-4-hydroxypyridine unit attached to either end of a polyether chain, mixed with a transition metal ion (e.g., Co(II) or Zn(II)) and a small percentage of a lanthanoid metal (e.g., La(III), Eu(III)). Such materials show dramatic reversible responses to a variety of stimuli, including thermal, mechanical, chemo, and photo. The nature of the response can be controlled by the nature of the combination of transition metal ion and lanthanide metal ion used.