Hg+2 Ion sensing application of Tri-armed Star Copolymer containing Pyrene side groups

Abstract

A pyrene-functionalized styrene polymer (P3) is synthesized via atom transfer radical addition; click reaction between the azide functional groups of the precursors and, 1-ethynylpyrene and finally nitroxy mediated polymerization reactions. T_g of the polymer increases remarkably upon the covalent connection of the pyrene groups, while the other thermal properties (Tonset, T_max) of the styrene polymers are not affected by the incorporation of pyrene units. P3 exhibits the characteristic pyrene monomer emission bands and, depict also the excimer emission bands of pyrene due to strong intermolecular p-stacking interactions of pyrene units in star-shaped polymer. The excimer emission of P3 is moderately to severe decreased by the addition of Hg⁺² cation. The highest quenching efficiency (around 65%) was observed at 25 eq. addition of Hg⁺².