Fluorescent nano-objects with controllable sizes and morphologies were prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation transfer alcoholic dispersion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and 2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethene-1,1,2-triyl)tribenzene (TPE), a polymerizable derivative of the aggregation-induced emission dye. The molar ratio of BzMA to the macromolecular chain-transfer agent poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) was set as 160, 220, 320 and 360, respectively, while the ratio of TPE to PDMAEMA was kept constant. After polymerization for 24 h at 70 °C, the resulting colloid was characterized by <sup>1</sup>H NMR, fluorescence spectrum, dynamic laser scattering and transmission electron microscopy. As the ratio of BzMA/PDMAEMA increased, hydrodynamic size of these self-assemblies increased accordingly, and their shape evolved from micelles to worm-like micelles and vesicles. This approach provided a facile way to prepare fluorescent nano-objects with controllable sizes and shapes, which may find applications in studying the shape effect on bio-imaging.

Controlling the morphology: A Facile approach to prepare fluorescent nano-objects via polymerization-induced self-assembly

251st National Meeting (2016)

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