Fluorescent core-shell polymer particles containing luminophore dyes: synthesis and optical response to acetone

Abstract

Monodisperse dye-containing crosslinked particles are promising for application in novel optical chemical sensors due to their intrinsic sensitivity. However, preparation of these particles in aqueous media still remains a challenge, since luminophores inhibit radical processes or else cannot embed into polymer chains because of difference in monomer reactivity ratios. In this work, novel dye-containing monodisperse crosslinked particles were prepared and characterized. In order to obtain dye-containing monodisperse crosslinked particles, we studied seed copolymerization of styrene in the presence of divinylbenzene. The influence of nature and concentration of the used comonomers and co-solvents on shape, size distributions and surface characteristics of the particles formed was investigated. Shapes and diameters of the particles were analyzed by DLS, TEM and SEM. The data of SEM and optical spectroscopy studies demonstrated that the synthesized particles were able to self-assemble into thin-film three-dimensional ordered structures. Finally, the structures under study are promising for development of sensor devices with optical response to acetone.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Acetone
• crosslinking
• dye-containing particles
• sensory materials

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the program of the Presidium of RAS No7: "Modern problems of photonics, the probing of inhomogeneous media and materials" (the state projects No. 0096-2016-0004 and No. 0026-2014-0303).