Metal-coordination interactions in the template-mediated synthesis of substrate-selective polymers recognition of bis(imidazole) substrates by copper(II) iminodiacetate containing polymers

Metal-complexing polymer matrices capable of specific recognition and binding to metal-coordinating substrates have been prepared by preorganization of copper(II) [N-(4-vinylbenzyl)imino]diacetic acid (1), with bifunctional bis(imidazole) templates (2-5) of varying geometry and subsequent polymerization with a large excess of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linking agent. Complexation of metal-chelating monomers with the template during polymerization directs the positioning of metal ions in the polymer matrices while a high degree of cross-linking stabilizes the functional group arrangement