Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Multistimulus-Responsive Azobenzene-Containing Diblock Copolymer through RAFT Polymerization.

This paper gathered studies on multistimulus-responsive sensing and self-assembly behavior of a novel amphiphilic diblock copolymer through a two-step reverse addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique. N-Isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) macromolecular chain transfer agent and diblock copolymer (poly(NIPAM-b-Azo)) were discovered to have moderate thermal decomposition temperatures of 351.8 and 370.8 °C, respectively, indicating that their thermal stability was enhanced because of the azobenzene segments incorporated into the block copolymer. The diblock copolymer was determined to exhibit a lower critical solution temperature of 34.4 °C. Poly(NIPAM-b-Azo) demonstrated a higher photoisomerization rate constant (kt = 0.1295 s-1) than the Azo monomer did (kt = 0.088 s-1). When ultraviolet (UV) irradiation was applied, the intensity of fluorescence gradually increased, suggesting that UV irradiation enhanced the fluorescence of self-assembled cis-isomers of azobenzene. Morphological aggregates before and after UV irradiation are shown in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses of the diblock copolymer. We employed photoluminescence titrations to reveal that the diblock copolymer was highly sensitive toward Ru3+ and Ba2+, as was indicated by the crown ether acting as a recognition moiety between azobenzene units. Micellar aggregates were formed in the polymer aqueous solution through dissolution; their mean diameters were approximately 205.8 and 364.6 nm at temperatures of 25.0 and 40.0 °C, respectively. Our findings contribute to research on photoresponsive and chemosensory polymer material developments.

Synthesis, Chemosensory Properties, and Self-Assembly of Terpyridine-Containing Conjugated Polycarbazole through RAFT Polymerization and Heck Coupling Reaction.

We report the responsive fluorescence chemosensory phenomena of a carbazole-functionalized crosslinked polymer (PCaT) with pendent terpyridine (tpy) groups as receptors of metal ions. The polymer was synthesized using Heck polymerization between 3,6-dibromide groups in a carbazole-based polymer (PC2Br) and divinyl tpy monomer. The effects of the polymeric structure on the optical and chemosensory properties of the PCaT were compared with those of a carbazole-tpy alternating conjugated polymer (PCT). Photoluminescence titrations demonstrated that the PCaT and PCT had the high sensing ability toward Fe3+ ions, with Stern⁻Volmer constants of 8.10 × 104 and 6.68 × 104 M-1, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) toward Fe3+ of the PCaT and PCT was estimated to be 1.31 × 10-6 and 1.81 × 10-6 M, respectively, and the superior LOD of the PCaT was ascribed to its lowly crosslinked structure. The fluorescence of the solutions of these polymers that were quenched by Fe3+ ions recovered when trace CN- anions were added because of the high stability constant of the CN-⁻Fe3+ complex. Micellar aggregates with a mean diameter of approximately 239.5 nm were formed by dissolving the PCaT in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution. Our results suggest that the PCaT is a promising material for chemosensory applications.