Two polymers containing pyridine rings were prepared by free-radical polymerization and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR spectra. The preparation of four multilayer films that were obtained by self-assembly of the polymer and the transition metal neutralized polyelectrolyte on PE substrate was described. UV–vis spectra and atomic force microscopy images were applied to characterize these films and indicate the uniform assembling process. The driving force for building up the multilayer films was identified by infrared spectroscopy to be the coordination interaction. The magnetic behavior was examined as a function of magnetic field strength at 30 kOe and as a function of temperature (5–300 K). All films display strong soft ferromagnetic properties and higher than those of the bulk materials. The magnetic results show that the layer-by-layer self-assembling approach is beneficial to the ordered alignment of adjacent paramagnetic spins and induces better magnetic phenomena. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The layer-by-layer self-assembly technique was used to fabricate a series of multilayer thin films with poly[4′-(4-methacryloyphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine] (PmPhtpy), polycyanofullerenes, and transition metals (Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺). The polymer PmPhtpy was prepared by free-radical polymerization, and this was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The polycyanofullerenes, which were characterized by FTIR, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, was synthesized via the bromination of fullerene and then substitution with a nucleophilic reagent [potassium cyanide (KCN)]. The optical properties of the films were measured by attenuated total reflection infrared and UV–vis spectroscopy, and the results indicate that the driving force of the fabrication of the multilayer film was the coordination interaction. The magnetic behavior was examined as a function of the magnetic field strength at 5 K and the temperature (5–300 K). The magnetic hysteresis loops of the films showed a typical S shape at 5 K; this suggested soft ferromagnetic properties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40681.

The main aims of the work reported here were to synthesize and characterize a new 2,2′-ethylidene-bis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol) (EDBPH₂)-based bimetal yttrium complex, Y(EDBP)₂(DME)Na(DME)₃ (1c; where DME is ethylene glycol dimethyl ether), which was employed as an efficient initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL). From single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the solid structure of this new bimetal initiator was well established. Experimental results show that 1c initiates the ring-opening polymerization of ε-CL to afford poly(ε-CL) with a narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.09–1.36, 65 °C). Based on an in situ NMR study, a plausible coordination–insertion mechanism is then proposed. The bimetal complex 1c can be used as an initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-CL with some living characteristics. A study of the mechanism reveals that DME displacement in 1c by ε-CL is involved in the initiation process and the propagation may proceed through three pathways by NaO insertion or YO insertion. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

End-capped poly(ε-caprolactone)s (PCLs) have been prepared elsewhere by various initiators. However, hydroxytelechelic PCLs have been reported less frequently, although there are two hydroxyl end groups in one polymer chain, which allows diversified functionalization. Two tetrahydrosalen-backboned chlorides containing rare-earth complexes, YbLCl(DME)₂ and ErLCl(DME) {where L is 6,6′-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(methylazanediyl)]bis (methylene)bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenol) and DME is dimethoxyethane}, were first synthesized in this study, and they were used as initiator precursors for a ring-opening polymerization in the presence of NaBH₄ to afford hydroxytelechelic PCLs. The polymerization under different conditions was investigated, and a possible mechanism is proposed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009

The preparation and magnetism of two supramolecular polymeric complexes, DABT/PAA-Ni²⁺ and DABT/PAA-Cu²⁺, which were obtained via electrostatic interactions of 2,2′-diamino-4,4′-bithiazole (DABT), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and transition metal ions (Cu²⁺ or Ni²⁺) were described. FTIR, ¹H NMR, and elemental analysis were used to characterize the structures of the obtained supramolecular polymer and the corresponding complexes. The corresponding multilayer films were also constructed on the quartz substrate. UV–vis spectra and AFM images were applied to characterize these films. The result indicates a process of uniform assembling. The magnetic behavior was examined as a function of magnetic field strength at 4 K and as a function of temperature (4–300 K). It was found that DABT/PAA-Ni²⁺ exhibits a ferromagnetic property with a high value of relative saturation magnetization, while DABT/PAA-Cu²⁺ shows a special magnetic property different from the typical magnet. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

A novel fully conjugated polymer containing 1,10-phenanthroline (DAPcDOD) was first synthesized by the polycondensation of 2,7-dimethyl-2,4,6-octatriene-1,8-dial with 5,6-diamine-1,10-phenanthroline. Three polymeric complexes were first prepared by the reaction of DAPcDOD with NiSO₄, CoCl₂, and FeSO₄, respectively. The structures of the polymer and the complexes were characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, and elemental analysis. The magnetic behaviors of these complexes were measured as a function of magnetic field strength (0–50 kOe) at 5 K and as a function of temperature (5–300 K) at a magnetic field strength of 30 kOe. The results show that DAPcDOD–Ni²⁺ and DAPcDOD–Co²⁺ were soft ferromagnets, whereas DAPcDOD–Fe²⁺ exhibited the features of an antiferromagnet. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

A new polyamide containing bithiazole moieties (polythiazole amides, PTA) was synthesized by the polycondensation of 2,2′-diamino-4,4′-bithiazole and oxalyl chloride. The rare-earth metal complexes of the polymer were prepared from PTA and rare-earth chloride in DMSO. The structures of the polymer and the complexes were characterized through IR spectra. The preliminary magnetic properties of the complexes were investigated; it was found that these materials are ferromagnets at low temperature. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Two comb-like copolymers (BIMT and PMB) composed of N-2-thiazolylmethacrylamide (NTMA) and 2-(1-butylimidazolium-3-yl) ethyl methacrylate tetrafluoroborate (BIMA) were prepared by free radical polymerization and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The conversion of the monomers to copolymer has been confirmed by FTIR spectra and ¹H NMR spectra. The metal (Ni²⁺, Nd³⁺) complexes of these two copolymers were prepared, and the magnetic behaviors of the complexes were studied. The coordinated complexes display three possible chelating structures, which lie on the nitrogen donor and oxygen donor ligands and the kinds of the metal ions. The bimetallic complexes (BIMT-Nd-Ni and PMB-Nd-Ni) were synthesized by using the different coordination sites of the polymers. The magnetic properties of the complexes show that different structures arising from the different preparations, the kinds and the contents of metal ions, and the state of the complexes can infect the exchange interaction between the metal ions and induce various magnetic phenomena. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5123–5132, 2008