Photo- and thermo-responsive complementary metal coordination for the construction of supramolecular polymers

Among diverse metal coordination interactions, complementary metal–ligand coordination stands out as a significant category, featuring captivating coordination geometries and excellent binding capacity. Although some complementary ligand pairs have been developed, few studies have focused on the regulation of their coordination structures or the exploration of synergistic effects between different coordination motifs. Herein, we report the reversible structural regulation of terpyridyl-based complementary metal coordination via photooxidation and thermal reduction, and construct fluorescent supramolecular polymers (FSLP) by integrating dual synergistic complementary metal coordination interactions with host–guest recognition. Photooxidation of the complementary metal coordination enables its disassembly, while heating induces its reformation, thereby realizing reversible degradation and regeneration of the FSLP. Given the fascinating coordination structures and photo- and thermo-responsive properties, this study provides inspiration for designing new functional supramolecular assemblies.