Water-soluble light-emitting nanoparticles prepared by non-covalent bond self-assembly of a hydroxyl group functionalized oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) with different water-soluble polymers

• Published in: Science China Chemistry 2010-05, Vol.53 (5), p.1122-1127
• Main Authors: Lu, XiaoMei, Fan, QuLi, Zhang, GuangWei, Pu, KanYi, Huang, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bonding strength; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Covalence; Covalent bonds; Hydroxyl groups; Nanoparticles; Optical properties; Optoelectronics; Photon correlation spectroscopy; Polydispersity; Self-assembly; Water chemistry; Water soluble polymers
• ISSN: 1674-7291; 1862-2771; 1869-1870
• DOI: 10.1007/s11426-010-0150-8

Water-soluble light-emitting nanoparticles were prepared from hydroxyl group functionalized oligos( p -phenyleneethynylene) (OHOPE L ) and water-soluble polymers (PEG, PAA, and PG) by non-covalent bond self-assembly. Their structure and optoelectronic properties were investigated through dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV and PL spectroscopy. The optical properties of OHOPE L -based water-soluble nanoparticles exhibited the same properties as that found in OHOPE L films, indicating the existence of interchain π-aggregation of OHOPE L s in the nanoparticles. OHOPE L -based nanoparticles prepared from conjugated oligomers show smaller size and lower dispersity than nanoparticles from conjugated polymers, which means that the structures of water-soluble nanoparticles are linked to the conjugated length. Furthermore, the OHOPE L /PG and OHOPE L /PAA systems produced smaller particles and lower polydispersity than the OHOPE L /PEG system, indicating that there may exist influence of the strength of non-covalent bonds on the size and degree of dispersity of the nanoparticles.