High molecular weight supramolecular polymers containing both terpyridine metal complexes and ureidopyrimidinone quadruple hydrogen-bonding units in the main chain.

Using a hydroxy-functionalized terpyridine as initiator, a poly(epsilon-caprolactone) containing one terpyridine endgroup was prepared by tin octanoate-catalyzed controlled ring-opening polymerization. The omega-hydroxy group of this polymer was subsequently reacted with an isocyanato-ureidopyrimidinone, resulting for the first time in polymers bearing a metal-coordinating ligand on the one and a hydrogen-bonding unit on the other chain end. Hydrogen-bonded supramolecular dimers were shown to be present in chloroform solution. The subsequent addition of iron(II) ions resulted in the formation of high molecular weight supramolecular polymers with novel properties resulting from the combination of both types of noncovalent interactions in the main chain, as could be shown using capillary viscosimetry and rheometry.