Functional coordination compounds for mechanoresponsive polymers

Small molecule probes that respond to a mechanical force ("mechanophores") have emerged as an important tool in the design of stimuli-responsive polymer materials. Although the majority of such mechanohphores are based on organic molecules, the utilization of metal complexes has also attracted attention as they offer a possibility to tune their spectroscopic properties and reactivity, and have the ability to reversibly form and break metal-ligand bonds through rational design of the ligand environment surrounding the metal. This review features representative examples of coordination compounds which were utilized as new, tunable tools to create various types of mechanoresponsive polymers.