Micropatterning of metallopolymers: syntheses of back-to-back coupled octylated 2,6-bis(pyrazolyl)pyridine ligands and their solution-processable coordination polymers

This paper presents a 10-step synthetic route for the preparation of a series of new back-to-back coupled 2,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (bpp) ligands (L0-L3) decorated with tetraoctyl chains. Ligand L1 self-assembles with Zn(2+) ion to form a highly soluble metallo-supramolecular polymer 1 with M(n) ～ 9600 g/mol. To demonstrate the processability of polymer 1, by following a "top-down" approach periodic one-dimensional fluorescent microstripes were fabricated on a silica substrate.