Unprecedented Multicolor Photoluminescence from Hyperbranched Poly(amino ester)s

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 40; no. 17; pp. e1800658 - n/a
• Main Authors: Yuan, Luyao, Yan, Hongxia, Bai, Lihua, Bai, Tian, Zhao, Yan, Wang, Lianlian, Feng, Yuanbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2019
• Subjects: aggregation‐induced emission; Amines - chemistry; Citric acid; Clustering; Emission; Emissions; Esters - chemistry; Ferric ions; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; hyperbranched; Ions; Iron; Iron - analysis; Iron - chemistry; Luminescence; Methyldiethanolamine; Organic light emitting diodes; Photoluminescence; Photons; poly(amino ester)s; Polycondensation reactions; Polymers - chemistry; water‐soluble polymers; Wavelengths; aggregation-induced emission; hyperbranched; water-soluble polymers; poly(amino ester)s; fluorescence
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800658

A novel kind of water‐soluble fluorescent hyperbranched poly(amino ester) (PAE) is prepared through a one‐pot polycondensation reaction of citric acid (CA) and N‐methyldiethanolamine (NMDEA). The PAE exhibits enhanced and red‐shift fluorescence with increasing solution concentration, showing distinct aggregation‐induced emission character. Interestingly, the resulting PAE exhibits tunable photoluminescence from blue, cyan, and green to red irradiated by altering the excitation wavelengths. Such unique emission of non‐conjugated PAE is attributed to the clustering of ester and tertiary amine groups derived from PAE self‐assembly aggregates. Moreover, the fluorescence of PAE is very sensitive to Fe3+ ions. The facile preparation and unique optical features make PAE potentially useful in numerous applications such as multicolor cellular imaging, Fe3+ ions probe, and light‐emitting diodes. A novel water‐soluble multicolor light‐emitting hyperbranched poly(amino ester) (PAE) is developed. The resultant polymers show tunable fluorescence from blue to red by altering the excitation wavelengths. The fluorescence of obtained PAE increases and shows a red shift as the concentration rises. PAE shows aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) property. The fluorescence of PAE also shows highly selective quenching to Fe3+ ions.