Poly(ε-caprolactone) decorated with one room-temperature red-emitting ruthenium(II) complex: synthesis, characterization, thermal and optical properties

Abstract

The incorporation of room-temperature red-emissive [Ru(II)(dqp)(dqp-CH(2) OH)](2+) (dqp is 2,6-di(quinolin-8-yl)pyridine) in poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is explored following two routes. First, the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone is investigated using the free ligand and the complex as initiators. Alternatively, the complexation strategy utilizing PCL-dqp as a macroligand is detailed. Both routes yield room-temperature emissive polymers centered at 400 nm (free ligand) and 680 nm (complex) in aerated solvent. DSC and TGA showed the typical properties of PCL, for example, the melting point (59 °C).