A facile fabrication of polydiacetylene nanowires and their response to aqueous solutions with basicity

Polydiacetylene nanowires composed of 10, 12-docosadiynedioic acid (DCDDA) were fabricated simply by solution reprecipitation method with diameter of 50–150 nm and length of several micrometers. As the DCDDA nanowires are exposed to aqueous solutions of pH less than 7, there is no fluorescence emission observed. In contrast, we observed the a red-fluoresce response of the nanowires as they exposed to solutions of pH ranging 8–10, reflecting the degree of ionization of carboxylate head groups.

We observed photonic response of bolaamphiphilic polydiacetylene nanowires as exposed against solutions of various pHs. In basic solutions, the nanowires showed red-fluoresce emission reflecting the degree of ionization of carboxylate head groups.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide