Mixed-Valent Click Intertwined Polymer Units Containing Biferrocenium Chloride Side Chains Form Nanosnakes that Encapsulate Gold Nanoparticles

Polymers containing triazolylbiferrocene are synthesized by ROMP or radical chain reactions and react with HAuCl4 to provide class-2 mixed-valent triazolylbiferrocenium polyelectrolyte networks (observed inter alia by TEM and AFM) that encapsulate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). With triazolylbiferrocenium in the side polymer chain, the intertwined polymer networks form nanosnakes, unlike with triazolylbiferrocenium in the main polymer chain. By contrast, simple ferrocene-containing polymers do not form such a ferricenium network upon reaction with Au-III, but only small AuNPs, showing that the triazolyl ligand, the cationic charge, and the biferrocenium structure are coresponsible for such network formations.