Fluorescent conjugated polymers as chemsensors

POLY 441

Wenrong Gui and Wayne E. Jones Jr., wjones@binghamton.edu. Department of Chemistry and Institute for Materials Research, State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY 13902
In recent years, conjugated polymers have been used widely as fluorescent chemosenors. Conjugated polymer molecular wires amplify sensitivity, increase selectivity and offer processing advantages when compared with small molecular sensors. There are two classes of chemosensors, which respond by fluorescence “turn on” or “turn off” effects after binding specific analytes. We have synthesized a series of conjugated polymers using the poly[p-(phenyleneethynelene)-alt-(thienylene-ethylene)] (PPETE) polymer backbone with different oligopyridine pendant groups as receptors. “Turn off” and “turn on” sensors respond by different mechanisms. In the first example, the receptor binds with metal ions to quench the whole polymer backbone completely creating a “turn off” effect. In the second example, the receptor binds with the metal ions to modify an electron transfer quenching mechanism resulting in an increase in fluorescence intensity creating a “turn on” effect. Here we present recent variations in the receptors and backbone in order to evaluate their influence on future chemosensor design.
 

Conjugated Polymer Materials and Hybrids: Synthesis, Macromolecular Assemblies, and Nanostructures
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Sci-Mix

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007