Pi-conjugated polymers (CPs) can combine useful optoelectronic properties such as bright luminescence, electrochromism, photovoltaic, and nonlinear optical activity with ready processability typical of organic polymers. Hybrid organic/inorganic materials comprised by transition metal-CP complexes, termed conducting metallopolymers (CMPs), have an expanded property set resulting from integration of the advantageous optoelectronic features and processability of CPs with the rich redox activity of transition metals. We have prepared CMPs wherein metals are enshrouded within a rigid cleft of free space provided by sidechain functionalities positioned about a 2,2'-bipyridyl ligand incorporated into the pi-conjugated backbone of a poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative. The ability of this structural motif to provide a well-defined metal coordination environment, prevent coordinative crosslinking between CP chains, and to facilitate small mol. analyte entry for sensor purposes have been examined by UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. A small molecule model complex was also prepared and studied in similar fashion for comparison. The scaffold successfully supports complexes with a 1:1 metal to ligand ratio and prevents coordinative crosslinking of the CP upon metallation.