title: Truxene-Based Hyperbranched Conjugated Polymers: Fluorescent Micelles Detect Explosives in Water.
abstract: We report two hyperbranched conjugated polymers (HCP) with truxene units as core and 1,4-didodecyl-2,5-diethynylbenzene as well as 1,4-bis(dodecyloxy)-2,5-diethynylbenzene as comonomers. Two analogous poly(para-phenyleneethynylene)s (PPE) are also prepared as comparison to demonstrate the difference between the truxene and the phenyl moieties in their optical properties and their sensing performance. The four polymers are tested for nitroaromatic analytes and display different fluorescence quenching responses. The quenching efficiencies are dependent upon the spectral overlap between the absorbance of the analyte and the emission of the fluorescent polymer. Optical fingerprints are obtained, based on the unique response patterns of the analytes toward the polymers. With this small sensor array, one can distinguish nine nitroaromatic analytes with 100% accuracy. The amphiphilic polymer F127 (a polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol block copolymer) carries the hydrophobic HCPs and self-assembles into micelles in water, forming highly fluorescent HCP micelles. The micelle-bound conjugated polymers detect nitroaromatic analytes effectively in water and show an increased sensitivity compared to the sensing of nitroaromatics in organic solvents. The nitroarenes are also discriminated in water using this four-element chemical tongue.
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smarsly
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seehafer
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wacker
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rasmus R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.affiliation: Organisch-Chemisches Institut, ‡CAM, Centre for Advanced Materials, and §Cell Networks, Bioquant, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe H F
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9369-5387
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Bunz
keywords: conjugated polymers; micelles; nitroarene detection; sensor; truxene