Synthesis and Single Chain Fluorescence of a Sulfonated Conjugated Polymer

Daniel E. Gómez; Tina A. T. Tan; Jonathan M. White; Toby D. M. Bell; Kenneth P. Ghiggino

doi:10.1071/CH09348

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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Synthesis and Single Chain Fluorescence of a Sulfonated Conjugated Polymer

Daniel E. Gómez ^A , Tina A. T. Tan ^A , Jonathan M. White ^A , Toby D. M. Bell ^A and Kenneth P. Ghiggino ^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010 Australia.

^B Corresponding author. Email: ghiggino@unimelb.edu.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 62(12) 1577-1582 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH09348
Submitted: 19 June 2009 Accepted: 28 August 2009 Published: 10 December 2009

Abstract

A water-soluble sulfonated conjugated phenylene vinylene polymer (Alt-Co-DPS-PPV) has been prepared by a Horner–Emmons reaction involving the condensation of a disulfonyl aryl bisphosphonate and terephthaldehyde. The photoluminescence from single chains of the polymer dispersed in a poly(vinyl alcohol) film at room temperature has been studied by confocal imaging techniques. Fluorescence intensity trajectories from Alt-Co-DPS-PPV single chains exhibit intermittencies or ‘blinking’ on both short (sub-millisecond) and long (seconds) time scales. The short time-scale intensity fluctuation data has been successfully analyzed using a simple model involving excursions from the fluorescent excited singlet state of the polymer chromophore to a non-emitting triplet state. It is found that the triplet state lifetime is molecule dependent and can be perturbed by the presence of the added heavy atom, iodide. These single chain fluorescence studies provide an insight into the distribution of excited state behaviours that make up the bulk polymer photochemical properties.

Acknowledgements

T.D.M.B. acknowledges the award of the University of Melbourne Faculty of Science Centenary Fellowship. K.P.G. and T.D.M.B. thank the Australian Research Council for financial support of this research under Discovery Project DP0664163. We also thank Professors Johan Hofkens and Frans De Schryver, Katholieke University of Leuven, for their advice in establishing the single molecule instrumentation at the University of Melbourne. We acknowledge the UNICHE Scheme for scholarship funding support (to T.A.T.T.) and Ms Emma Hooley and Ms Su Khim Ling for assistance with the photophysical measurements.

References

Synthesis and Single Chain Fluorescence of a Sulfonated Conjugated Polymer

Abstract

Acknowledgements

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