Controlled aggregation in conjugated polymer nanoparticles via organic acid treatments.

ABSTRACT: Understanding and controlling aggregation structures of conjugated polymers (CPs) in aqueous solutions is critical to improving the physical and photophysical properties of CPs for biological applications. Here, we present spectroscopic evidence, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic results, that different organic acid treatment induces different aggregation structures and photophysical properties of CPs in water. Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) were fabricated by treating a non-aqueous soluble, primary amine-containing poly(phenylene ethynylene) (PPE-NH(2)) with organic acids followed by dialysis. CPNs formed by acetic acid (AA) treatment (CPN-AAs) exhibit characteristics of loose aggregation with minimal π-π stacking, while CPNs formed by tartaric acid (TA) tr

SUBMITTER: Ko YJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3146301 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature