A Phosphine-Based Heterotrimetallic (M = Fe, Ru, W) Homopolymer

An organometallic homopolymer containing three different metals per repeating unit was synthesized from an air- and moisture-stable secondary phosphine bearing ethylferrocene and ethylruthenocene groups. Hydrophosphination yielded a tertiary phosphine bearing an alcohol, which was then used to introduce a polymerizable styrene group via DCC coupling. Free-radical polymerization, followed by postpolymerization coordination to photogenerated W­(CO)5 units, yielded the title polymer, which showed thermal, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties associated with each of the transition metals involved.