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A facile strategy to modulate the fluorescent properties of star polymers by varying the arm numbers

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Abstract

A simple approach to tune the fluorescent properties of star polymers was reported via only adjusting the arm numbers. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using β-CD-based initiators was utilized to synthesize star-shaped poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (star PVK) consisting of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) core and different arm numbers (3, 7, and 14). The conversion ratio was nearly 100 % characterized by 1H-NMR. Fluorescent properties of star PVKs could be modulated by varying the arm number at the same mass concentration of fluorescent groups. Fluorescence intensity declined with the increase of arm number and displayed “sandwich-like excimer” emission rather than “higher-energy excimer” emission. The unique structure of star polymer might effectively inhibit the formation of “random coil”, which often happened in linear polymer systems. In addition, all of the star PVKs with different arm numbers had the same emission peak centered at 395 nm and excimer band at 420 nm, respectively, which differed from their linear counterparts and demonstrated that the intramolecular interaction was not dominant in this system.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this work from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20704026, 51073102), Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation (122034), Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-10-0592), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2010SCU22001, 2011SCU04A04) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2010248) was gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065,, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Jiahui Li, Jiaojiao Yang, Jiazhuang Xu, Dingxiang Yan & Jianshu Li

  2. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Fujian Xu

  3. Analytical and Testing Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People’s Republic of China

    Chen Chen

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  1. Jiahui Li
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  2. Jiaojiao Yang
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  3. Fujian Xu
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  4. Jiazhuang Xu
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  5. Dingxiang Yan
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  6. Chen Chen
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  7. Jianshu Li
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Correspondence to Chen Chen or Jianshu Li.

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Li, J., Yang, J., Xu, F. et al. A facile strategy to modulate the fluorescent properties of star polymers by varying the arm numbers. J Polym Res 19, 9941 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-012-9941-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-012-9941-2

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