ELECTROACTIVE POLYMERS EXCHANGING TRANSITION-METAL IONS - SYNTHESIS OF NEW MONOMERS AND POLYMERS BASED ON 6,6'-BIS(2-HYDROXYPHENYL) BIPYRIDINE COMPLEXES

A new salen-like ligand, derived from bipyridine, has been prepared al ong with the complexes it forms with divalent copper and nickel. These new compounds have been polymerized to give electroactive polymers, w hich exhibit a much higher stability than the poly(metal-salen) previo usly described. Due to increased stability, metal exchange is possible and has been studied. A new family of polymers has thus been prepared through demetallation/remetallation cycles from native polymers in th eir copper or nickel forms. The ability to exchange and the electroche mical characteristics of the new polymers have been investigated with manganese, cobalt, and zinc, as the new central metal.