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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Photogeneration of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Application in Photoinduced Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization
Published on: November 29, 2018
Directional Self-Assembly and Photoinduced Polymerization of Diacetylene-Containing Platinum(II) Terpyridine
Shishi Fang1, Sammual Yu-Lut Leung1, Yongguang Li1,2
1Institute of Molecular Functional Materials, Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grant Committee (Hong Kong), and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
Abstract:
A series of newly designed and synthesized diacetylene-containing platinum(II) terpyridine complexes exhibited intriguing self-assembly properties. Facilitated by Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt, π-π stacking, hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions, these complexes are preorganized to readily undergo topochemical polymerization reactions upon photoirradiation. The in situ polymerization of the diacetylene units to form polydiacetylene, indicated by the UV/Vis spectral changes, gel permeation chromatography and dynamic light scattering, was found to alter their assembly behaviours, as revealed by TEM images.
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