Synthesis and Characterization of Conjugated Polymers Containing Rhenium-Rhenium Quadruple Bonds

Abstract

Reactions between the well-characterized dirhenium dicarboxylates, Re₂(O₂CR)₂Cl₄∗2H₂O (where R = CH₃ or C₂H₅) and the Lewis bases (L) 4,4′-bipyridine (bipy) and pyrazine (pz) yield insoluble polymeric materials of the general formula [Re₂(O₂CR)₂Cl₄(L)]_n in which the heterocyclic ligands bridge adjacent Re₂ units. These air- and moisture-stable complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy and by carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen microanalyses. They are the first reported examples of conjugated polymeric materials containing Re-Re quadruple bonds.