Selective and sensitive fluorescent sensors for metal ions based on manipulation of side-chain compositions of poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s.
The syntheses and metal-responsive properties of poly(p-phenyleenethynylene)s with grafted new pseudo-crown-ether groups are reported. These polymers exhibit high sensitivities to alkali ions because of their collective optical properties, which are very sensitive to ion-induced conformational changes. The quenching of polymer fluorescence caused by the conformational changes is proportional to the ion concentration. The selectivity of the sensing materials toward Li(+) ions is significantly enhanced by controlling the size of the binding site via manipulation of the polymer side-chain compositions. The polymers are very stable for their six-month solid-state storage at room temperature.
Chen
Zhen
Z
Xue
Cuihua
C
Shi
Wei
W
Luo
Fen-Tair
FT
Green
Sarah
S
Chen
Jian
J
Liu
Haiying
H