Interfacial Pressure/Area Sensing: Dual-Fluorescence of Amphiphilic Conjugated Polymers at Water Interfaces

TitleInterfacial Pressure/Area Sensing: Dual-Fluorescence of Amphiphilic Conjugated Polymers at Water Interfaces
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsKoo, B, Swager, TM
JournalACS Macro Letters
Volume6
Issue2
Pagination134 - 138
Date PublishedSep-02-2018
ISSN2161-1653
Abstract

Exciton migration to emissive defects in π-conjugated polymers is a robust signal amplification strategy for optoelectronic sensors. Herein we report end-capped conjugated polymers that show two distinct emissions as a function of interpolymer distances at the air–water and hydrocarbon–water interfaces. Amphiphilic poly(phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) end-capped with perylene monoimides display two distinct emission colors (cyan from PPE and red from perylene), the relative intensity of which depends on the surface pressure applied on the Langmuir monolayers. This behavior produces a ratiometric interfacial pressure indicator. Relative quantum yields are maintained at the different surface pressures and hence display no sign of self-quenching of the excitons in an aggregated state. These polymers can be organized at the micelle–water interface in lytropic liquid crystals, thereby paving the way for potential applications of end-capped amphiphilic conjugated polymers in biosensors and bioimaging.

URLhttp://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00953
DOI10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00953
Short TitleACS Macro Lett.