Citation: Huahua Cui, Baiyao Liu, Qin Li, Guo-Quan Huang, Xu Chen, Biao Xiong, Jiahao Zhang, Ji Zheng, Rong-Jia Wei, Yin Ning, Dan Li. Particleization of cyclic trinuclear complexes into hybrid nanoparticles using diblock copolymers[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(10): 111535. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111535 shu

Particleization of cyclic trinuclear complexes into hybrid nanoparticles using diblock copolymers

College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Coordination Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China

jizheng@jnu.edu.cn

rjwei@jnu.edu.cn

yinning@jnu.edu.cn

Received Date: 5 March 2025
Revised Date: 30 June 2025
Accepted Date: 2 July 2025
Available Online: 3 July 2025

Figures(5)

Cyclic trinuclear complexes (CTCs) are coordination compounds composed of three metal atoms arranged in a cyclic structure, which imparts them with significant potential for catalytic applications. However, their practical use is often hindered by issues of low chemical stability and poor dispersity. In this work, we present an efficient strategy for stabilizing trinuclear copper complexes [tris(µ₂–4-carboxaldehyde-pyrazolato-N,N’)-tri-copper(Ⅰ) monohydrate, Cu₃(PyCA)₃·H₂O] by chemically incorporating them into the core of diblock copolymer aggregates. Specifically, we utilize reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to synthesize poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride)₅₀-block-poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)₅₂ (A₅₀-G₅₂) diblock copolymers. The subsequent reaction between primary amine groups of the A₅₀ block and aldehyde groups of the Cu₃(PyCA)₃·H₂O leads to the formation of A₅₀-G₅₂-Cu₃(PyCA)₃ hybrid nanoparticles, in which the G₅₂ blocks serve as steric coronas, while the Cu₃(PyCA)₃·H₂O are incorporated within the core domain. Notably, these hybrid nanoparticles exhibit enhanced stability and improved catalytic performance in the Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction in air. Through the precise design of reactive block copolymers, this study presents a novel strategy for the particleization of CTCs, thereby enabling the practical and scalable preparation of a diverse range of CTCs-based functional materials with enhanced properties.
- Hybrid nanoparticles,
- Diblock copolymers,
- Cyclic trinuclear complexes,
- Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction,
- Colloidal stability
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