Synthesis and properties of poly(N, N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) copolymer with temperature and pH due-responsive AIE properties
摘要
A series of PDMAEMA-TPE copolymers with temperature and pH due-responsive AIE properties were synthesized by free radical copolymerization of N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) and tetraphenylethylene (TPE) monomer. It was found that PDMAEMA-TPE copolymers in alkaline aqueous solution have pH-dependent thermosensitivity with lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The LCST of the copolymers decreases with increasing both pH and the molar content of hydrophobic TPE units in the copolymers. The copolymers exhibit typical AIE behavior in aqueous solution. Temperature-dependent fluorescence shows an approximate two-fold increase in fluorescence intensity above the LCST. pH-dependent fluorescence presents that the fluorescent intensity of the copolymers increases with increasing pH. Particularly, there is a doubling increase in fluorescent intensity above pH 9.12. Both intra-aggregate contraction and inter-aggregates’ association controlled by temperature and pH are favored to the enhanced fluorescence emission of the PDMAEMA-TPE copolymers.