The invention provides a metallopolymer coordination network comprising one or more coinage or similar metals and a glyme or glyme-equivalent. The composition has an amorphous polymer network that is significantly stronger than previously reported supramolecular hydrogels synthesized without glyme. Glyme chain length and water content strongly influence the mechanical, electronic, and optical behavior of the network.

A polymer including, as the main chain, a metal-oxygen-metal bond including a structural unit represented by the following general formula (1): wherein M represents a metal atom selected from the group consisting of Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, In, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, and Bi; R.sup.1 is selected from a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkylcarbonyl group, a C.sub.6-C.sub.12 aryl group, a C.sub.7-C.sub.13 aralkyl group, a (R.sup.5.sub.3Si-group, a (R.sup.6R.sup.7N) group, a 4-oxopent-2-en-2-yl group, a C.sub.5-C.sub.12 4-alkoxy-4-oxobuta-2-en-2-yl group, and a C.sub.10-C.sub.16 4-aryloxy-4-oxobuta-2-en-2-yl group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group; R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, or a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkylcarbonyl group; R.sup.5 is a hydroxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, a C.sub.5-C.sub.12 alicyclic alkyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkoxy group, a C.sub.6-C.sub.12 aryl group, a C.sub.7-C.sub.13 aralkyl group, or a group having a siloxane bond; a plurality of R.sup.5 may be the same or different; R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, a C.sub.5-C.sub.12 alicyclic alkyl group, a C.sub.6-C.sub.12 aryl group, a C.sub.7-C.sub.13 aralkyl group, or a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 acyl group; R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 may be linked via a carbon-carbon saturated bond or a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond to form a ring structure; m is an integer that represents the valence of the metal atom M; a is an integer of 1 to (m?2); and b is an integer of 1 to 6, and c is an integer of 1 to 5. Provided is a polymer including a metal-oxygen-metal bond as the main chain that is stably present without aggregating or turning into a gel even in high concentration and high viscosity.

##STR00001##

A polymer including, as the main chain, a metal-oxygen-metal bond including a structural unit represented by the following general formula (1): wherein M represents a metal atom selected from the group consisting of Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, In, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, and Bi; R.sup.1 is selected from a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkylcarbonyl group, a C.sub.6-C.sub.12 aryl group, a C.sub.7-C.sub.13 aralkyl group, a (R.sup.5.sub.3Si-group, a (R.sup.6R.sup.7N) group, a 4-oxopent-2-en-2-yl group, a C.sub.5-C.sub.12 4-alkoxy-4-oxobuta-2-en-2-yl group, and a C.sub.10-C.sub.16 4-aryloxy-4-oxobuta-2-en-2-yl group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group; R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, or a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkylcarbonyl group; R.sup.5 is a hydroxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, a C.sub.5-C.sub.12 alicyclic alkyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkoxy group, a C.sub.6-C.sub.12 aryl group, a C.sub.7-C.sub.13 aralkyl group, or a group having a siloxane bond; a plurality of R.sup.5 may be the same or different; R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl group, a C.sub.5-C.sub.12 alicyclic alkyl group, a C.sub.6-C.sub.12 aryl group, a C.sub.7-C.sub.13 aralkyl group, or a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 acyl group; R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 may be linked via a carbon-carbon saturated bond or a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond to form a ring structure; m is an integer that represents the valence of the metal atom M; a is an integer of 1 to (m?2); and b is an integer of 1 to 6, and c is an integer of 1 to 5. Provided is a polymer including a metal-oxygen-metal bond as the main chain that is stably present without aggregating or turning into a gel even in high concentration and high viscosity.

##STR00001##

An asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene compound and a polymer are provided. The asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene compound is a heterocyclic compound having furan, thiophene, selenophene and/or tellurophene subunits. The polymer has an asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene subunit and can be formed by polymerizing the asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene compound and an electron-accepting compound. The polymer may be used as a semiconductor active layer material in an organic field effect transistor or a heterogeneous interface material of an organic solar cell.

An asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene compound and a polymer are provided. The asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene compound is a heterocyclic compound having furan, thiophene, selenophene and/or tellurophene subunits. The polymer has an asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene subunit and can be formed by polymerizing the asymmetric benzotrichalcogenophene compound and an electron-accepting compound. The polymer may be used as a semiconductor active layer material in an organic field effect transistor or a heterogeneous interface material of an organic solar cell.

According to one embodiment, a method of forming a metal foam with substantially uniform density includes forming a metallopolymer network including metallopolymer material with pre-defined ionic conductivity and pre-defined polymeric chain length, adding a reductant to the metallopolymer network during formation thereof for creating metal nanoparticles in the metallopolymer network, where the metal nanoparticles have substantially uniform size, and heating the reduced metallopolymer network for sintering the metal nanoparticles into a network.

According to one embodiment, a method of forming a metal foam with substantially uniform density includes forming a metallopolymer network including metallopolymer material with pre-defined ionic conductivity and pre-defined polymeric chain length, adding a reductant to the metallopolymer network during formation thereof for creating metal nanoparticles in the metallopolymer network, where the metal nanoparticles have substantially uniform size, and heating the reduced metallopolymer network for sintering the metal nanoparticles into a network.

Gold(I) complexes and gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers as anticancer therapeutics. The Au(I) ion within the gold(I) complexes is coordinated to two phosphine ligands. The repeating unit formed by Au(I) ion coordinating to dithiocarbamte ligands are connected by Au(I)-Au(I) interactions within the gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers. Also disclosed are methods of synthesis, pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the gold(I) complexes, pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers, and methods of treating cancer.

Gold(I) complexes and gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers as anticancer therapeutics. The Au(I) ion within the gold(I) complexes is coordinated to two phosphine ligands. The repeating unit formed by Au(I) ion coordinating to dithiocarbamte ligands are connected by Au(I)-Au(I) interactions within the gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers. Also disclosed are methods of synthesis, pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the gold(I) complexes, pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers, and methods of treating cancer.

Gold(I) complexes and gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers as anticancer therapeutics. The Au(I) ion within the gold(I) complexes is coordinated to two phosphine ligands. The repeating unit formed by Au(I) ion coordinating to dithiocarbamte ligands are connected by Au(I)Au(I) interactions within the gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers. Also disclosed are methods of synthesis, pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the gold(I) complexes, pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the gold(I) dithiocarbamate polymers, and methods of treating cancer.