Synthesis of fluorescent methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)‐ b ‐Poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate)–2‐( N ‐carbazolyl) ethyl methacrylate copolymer via living oxyanion‐initiated polymerization

The fluorescent amphiphilic block copolymer methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)‐ b ‐poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) (PECA)–2‐( N ‐carbazolyl) ethyl methacrylate (CzEMA) was synthesized via living oxyanion‐initiated polymerization. mPEG‐ b ‐PECA–CzEMA was characterized by gel permeation chromatography, 1 H‐NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate that the polymerization was well controlled with a narrow molecular weight distribution. The mPEG‐ b ‐PECA–CzEMA nanoparticles prepared by nanoprecipitation techniques showed a narrow size distribution with an average diameter of less than 100 nm. The mPEG‐ b ‐PECA–CzEMA exhibited a strong carbazole fluorescence. Furthermore, it was found that the fluorescence intensity of mPEG‐ b ‐PECA–CzEMA was sensitive to a change in solvent. The results indicate that a subtle change in the state of the polymer micellar association may have altered the state of carbazole groups, which was responsible for the fluorescence emission. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012