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Reversible Thermally Responsive and Luminescent Coil–Rod–Coil Triblock Copolymers
Author(s) -
Xiao Xing,
Fu Yaqin,
Zhou Jianjun,
Bo Zhishan,
Li Lin,
Chan ChiMing
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.200700038
Subject(s) - copolymer , materials science , chain transfer , electromagnetic coil , raft , polymerization , polymer chemistry , luminescence , förster resonance energy transfer , fluorescence , poly(n isopropylacrylamide) , polymer , photochemistry , radical polymerization , chemical engineering , optics , optoelectronics , chemistry , composite material , physics , electrical engineering , engineering
Abstract A functional coil–rod–coil triblock copolymer containing a terfluorene unit as the rigid segment and poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) as the flexible block was successfully synthesized via reversible addition–fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymerization using terfluorene‐based dithioester as the RAFT agent. The temperature‐responsive optical properties were investigated with the aid of dynamic light scattering and fluorescence techniques. Additionally, the relationship between the optical properties and the reversible phase transition of the doping system formed by blending the copolymer with tetraphenylporphine tetrasulfonic acid was studied. Above the lower critical solution temperature, the energy transfer efficiency decreased as a result of the globule–to–coil transition from PNIPAAm segments. The result indicates that these copolymers have a potential to be used as responsive fluorescent probes in facile detection of dye‐labeled biopolymers.