Decorating polymer beads with 1014 inorganic-organic [2]rotaxanes as shown by spin counting

Commun Chem. 2022 Jun 20;5(1):73. doi: 10.1038/s42004-022-00689-1.

Abstract

Polymer beads have been used as the core of magnetic particles for around twenty years. Here we report studies to attach polymetallic complexes to polymer beads for the first time, producing beads of around 115 microns diameter that are attached to 1014 hybrid inorganic-organic [2]rotaxanes. The bead is then formally a [1014] rotaxane. The number of complexes attached is counted by EPR spectroscopy after including TEMPO radicals within the thread of the hybrid [2]rotaxanes.