Controlled and reversible ligand exchange reactions are useful tools for modulating reactivity of transition metal complexes. Here, we present a reversible electropolymerization of nickel azopyridine (azpy) complexes based on the redox-controlled diimine ligand exchange reaction. Upon a single electron reduction, (azpy)NiBr 2 disproportionates to afford (azpy) 2 Ni and a [NiBr 4 ] 2À , while in situ 1e À oxidation of this mixture leads to complete restoration of the original complex. Reversible intermetallic ligand exchange is also demonstrated between nickel and cobalt or iron azopyridine complexes. This facile and quantitative ligand exchange reaction was utilized to develop a reversible electropolymerization strategy to generate nickel metallopolymers containing redox-active azobispyridine ligands.Ligand exchange is an important transformation in inorganic and organometallic chemistry and a critical step in many catalytic processes. [1][2][3] Many ligand exchange processes can be induced by stoichiometric or catalytic electron-transfer. [4][5][6][7] Herein, we report a reversible electropolymerization based on redox-induced ligand exchange reaction using nickel complexes with azopyridine ligands [8,9] and the use of this strategy for the reversible redox-controlled synthesis of nickel metallopolymers. [10][11][12][13] Metallopolymers have elicited significant interest as materials for electrochromics, sensors, energy storage, and catalysis. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The dimeric nickel(II) complex [(mazpy)NiBr 2 ] 2 , 1, was prepared by treating (DME)NiBr 2 (DME = dimethoxyethane) with one equivalent of the methyl azopyridine ligand (mazpy) at 25 8C in methylene chloride. The 1 H NMR spectrum of 1 reveals strongly paramagnetically-shifted resonances consistent with a high-spin nickel(II). [22] The solid-state structure of 1 reveals a bromide-bridged dimer with distorted trigonal-bipyramidal coordination geometry at nickel (See Supporting Information). Re-duction of the dimeric complex, 1 with 2 equivalents of cobaltocene (CoCp 2 , 1 equiv. per nickel) immediately leads to the formation of a diamagnetic product, characterized as (mazpy) 2 Ni, 2, and [CoCp 2 ] 2 [NiBr 4 ] 2À (Scheme 1). The identity of 2 was confirmed by independent synthesis from Ni(cod) 2 (cod = 1,5cyclooctadiene) and two equivalents of the azopyridine ligand in dichloromethane (DCM) (page S13-15 in SI). [23] The reduction behavior of the dimeric complex 1 differs from that of a similar compound, monomeric (azpy) 2 NiCl 2 , which generates (azpy) 2 Ni upon 2e À reduction. [23] This redox-mediated ligand exchange reaction is fully reversible: re-oxidation of the mixture of 2 and [CoCp 2 ] 2 [NiBr 4 ] 2À or 2 and [NBu 4 ] 2 [NiBr 4 ] 2À with [Fc][BF 4 ]([Fc][BF 4 ] = ferrocenium tetrafluoroborate) regenerates the dimeric [(mazpy)NiBr 2 ], 1 quantitatively (Scheme 1b, page S23-26 in Supporting Information).This process can also be monitored by cyclic voltammetry (CV, Figure 1). The CV of 1 exhibits a cathodic reduction peak ...