Synthesis of two conjugated polymers as TNT chemosensor materials

Two conjugated polymers were synthesized via the Heck reaction and the Sonogashira reaction, respectively. The resulting polymers were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Both of the polymers were examined for chemosensor applications to detect the explosive compound TNT. Both of the polymer solutions and the thin films showed high fluorescence quenching sensitivity towards TNT, indicating that they are potentially useful chemosensor materials for detecting explosives.