One-pot synthesis of a long-chain metal-backboned polymer.

Authors

Zihao Zhao, Fuyao Huang, Yifeng Zhang, Kainan Hong, Chumeng Jiang, Huisheng Peng

Published in

National science review. Volume 13. Issue 19. Pages nwag451. Epub Jul 23, 2026.

Abstract

Metal-backboned polymers, featuring backbones composed exclusively of metal atoms interconnected by consecutive metal-metal bonds, have been proposed as a new class of materials for promising applications in optics, electronics and magnetics; however, they remain unavailable for synthesis. Taking advantage of the long-range aurophilic attraction of gold, we report a straightforward one-pot synthesis method to fabricate metal-backboned polymers. This strategy achieves a degree of polymerization exceeding 50 and stable chain integrity in solution, providing a concise and efficient route for their production. Systematic structural characterizations revealed a one-dimensional Au backbone with continuous Au-Au bonds stabilized by quasi-covalent bonding in synergy with ligand protection. The resulting gold-backboned polymer (GBP) exhibits typical polymer behaviors, including the glass transition temperature and film-forming ability. In addition, GBP exhibits effective electron delocalization, semiconducting properties and long-wavelength phosphorescence, with a preliminary electroluminescent fiber device demonstrating its potential in flexible optoelectronics. This study establishes a general and efficient route for the synthesis of metal-backboned polymers.

PMID:
42926985
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Oct 2026.

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