MIT

Enhanced Luminescence from Emissive Defects in Aggregated Conjugated Polymers.

Title

Enhanced Luminescence from Emissive Defects in Aggregated Conjugated Polymers.

Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2007
Journal
Macromolecules
Volume
40
Pagination
8833–8841
Date Published
jan
ISSN
0024-9297
Abstract
Degradation experiments and model studies suggested that the longer lived green fluorescence from an aggregated poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) (PPE) was due to the presence of highly emissive, low-energy, anthryl defect sites rather than the emissive conjugated polymer excimers proposed in a previous report. After elucidating the origin of the green fluorescence, additional anthryl units were purposely incorporated into the polymer to enhance the blue-to-green fluorescence color change that accompanied polymer aggregation. The improved color contrast from this anthryl-doped conjugated polymer led to the development of crude solution-state and solid-state sensors, which, upon exposure to water, exhibited a visually noticeable blue-to-green fluorescence color change.