title: Conducting polymers containing in-chain metal centers: electropolymerization of oligothienyl-substituted {M(tpy)2} complexes and in situ conductivity studies, M = Os(II), Ru(II).
abstract: The electropolymerization of a series of Ru and Os bis-terpyridine complexes that form rodlike polymers with bithienyl, quaterthienyl, or hexathienyl bridges has been studied. Absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry have been used to characterize the monomers and resulting polymer films. The absolute dc conductivity of the quaterthienyl-bridged {Ru(tpy)2} and {Os(tpy)2} polymers is unusually large and independent of the identity of the metal center at 1.6 x 10(-3) S cm(-1). The maximum conductivity occurs at the formal potential of each redox process, which typically is observed for systems where redox conduction is the dominant charge transport mechanism. Significantly, the dc conductivity of the metal-based redox couple observed in these polymers is 2 orders of magnitude higher thanthat of a comparable nonconjugated system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Uppsala University, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hjelm
authors.forename: Robyn W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Handel
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hagfeldt
authors.forename: Edwin C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Constable
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Housecroft
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Forster