ABSTRACT
In metal-containing macromolecules or macromolecular metal complexes (MMC) (article in the previous edition of the Handbook see [1]) suitable compounds are combined to materials with new unusual properties: organic or inorganic macromolecules with metal ions, complexes, chelates or also metal clusters. These combinations result in new materials with high activities and specific selectivities in different functions. This article concentrates on synthetic aspects of artificial metal-containing macromolecules. Properties are shortly mentioned, and one has to look for more details in the cited literatures. In order to understand what kind of properties are realized in metal-containing macromolecules, in a first view functions of comparable natural systems (a short overview is given below) has to be considered:
metallo-enzymes for catalysis, hemoglobin, myoglobin for gas transport, cofactors for electron-interaction, apparatus of photosynthesis for energy conversion, metallo-proteins and related systems for various functions. For metal-containing polymers it is important to understand also their molecular
arrangements: primary structure (composition of a MMC); secondary structure (steric orientation of a MMC unit); tertiary structure (orientation of the whole MMC); quarternary structure (interaction of different MMCs). The more detailed knowledge about biological macromolecular metal complexes led in the recent years to an intensified research. The activities in this field are parts of IUPAC conferences on MacromoleculeMetal Complexes (MMC I-VII [2]), and are summarized in some monographs and several reviews [3-45].
