Solvatochromic effect of a fluorescence probe used to study the environmental properties of organic montmorillonite

Matching the polarity of a clay surface with that of polymer or monomer precursors is important in preparing polymer–clay nanocomposites. A fluorescence probe can be applied to characterize the polarity of the micro-environment. Dimethylamino-chalcone (DMAC) used as a fluorescence probe possesses quite strong solvatochromic properties. The polarity of the inner cavity of modified montmorillonite was characterized using fluorescence spectra of DMAC and the ET(30) value.