Synthesis, characterization and fluorescence adjustment of well-defined polymethacrylates with pendant π-conjugated benzothiazole via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)

Two compounds containing the benzothiazole moiety, 4-(2-benzothiazole-2-yl-vinyl)-phenyl methacrylate (BVMA) and 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid 4-(2-benzothiazole-2-yl-vinyl)-phenyl ester (BPBVE) were synthesized. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of BVMA was conducted at 60 °C using BPBVE and CuBr/2,2′-bipyridine (BPY) as initiator and catalyst, respectively. Chain extension with 4-methacryloxy-hexyloxy-4′-nitrostilbene (MHNS) was conducted using PBVMA as the macroinitiator. The homopolymer PBVMA in DMF solution emitted blue fluorescence, and the copolymer PBVMA-b-PMHNS emitted orange fluorescence at about 610 nm due to the intramolecular energy transfer. ATRP of BVMA was also conducted using 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid 4-nitrostilbene-hexyloxy ester (BPNHE) as an initiator. The obtained polymer was characterized via 1H NMR and the fluorescence intensity was found to change with increasing number average molecular weight (Mn). The polymer with Mn = 15900 emitted white fluorescence in DMF solution.