Metallopolymers

The potential of polymers that possess functionality as a result of the presence of metal centres has intrigued scientists since the mid 1950s. However, until recently, the development of the field has been held back by synthetic problems. Our group has developed ring-opening polymerization routes to well-defined classes of polymers containing main group and/or transition metal centers using ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of strained precursors. Block copolymers with metal centres present in one of the blocks are of particular interest because of their self-assembly to functional nanostructured thin films and nanoparticles (micelles) in a selective solvent. At a fundamental level we are interested in the structures, bonding, and strain present in the strained monomers and the mechanisms for ROP. The more applied side of our work involves the development of, for example, new charge transport materials, magnetic and catalytically-active ceramic materials, stimuli-responsive materials, sensors, liquid crystalline materials, and etch resists for nanolithographic applications.

Selected Publications:

  1. Functional soft materials from metallopolymers and metallosupramolecular polymers
    Whittell, G.R.; Hager, M.D.; Schubert, U.S.; Manners, I.
    Nat. Mater., 2011, 10, 176.
  2. Large- Area Nano-Square Arrays from Shear-Alignment Block Copolymer Thin Films
    Kim, S.Y.; Nunns, A.; Gwyther, J.; Davis, R.L.; Manners, I.; Chaikin, P.M.; Register, R.A.
    Nano Lett., 2014, 14, 5698.
  3. Direct writing of patterned ceramics using electron-beam lithography and metallopolymer resists
    Clendenning, S. B.; Aouba, S.; Rayat, M.S.; Grozea, D.; Sorge, J.B.; Broderson, P.M.; Sodhi, R.A.S.; Lu, Z-H.; Yip, C.M.; Freeman, M.S.; Ruda, H.E.; Manners, I.
    Adv. Mater., 2004, 16, 215.
  4. Polyferrocenylsilanes: Synthesis, Properties and Applications
    Hailes, R.L.N.; Oliver, A.M.; Gwyther, J.; Whittell, G.R.; Manners, I.
    Chem. Soc. Rev., 2016, 45, 5358.
  5. Main-chain metallopolymers at the static-dynamic boundary based on nickelocene
    Musgrave, R.A.; Russell, A.D.; Hayward, D.W.; Whittell, G.R.; Lawrence, P.G.; Gates, P.J.; Green, J.C.; Manners, I.
    Nat. Chem., 2017, 9, 743.
  6. Chiral Transmission to Cationic Polycobaltocenes over Multiple Length Scales Using Anionic Surfactants
    Musgrave, R.A.; Choi, P.; Harniman, R.L.; Richardson, R.M.; Shen, C.; Whittell, G.R.; Crassous, J.; Qui, H.; Manners, I.
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 7222.
  7. C-Term Faraday Rotation in Low Symmetry tert-Butyl Substituted Polyferroceniums
    Delage-Laurin, L.; Young, H.K.S.; LaPierre, E.A.; Warndorf, M.C.; Manners, I.; Swager, T.M.
    ACS Macro Lett., 2023, 12, 646.