Profluorescent nitroxide sensors for monitoring photo-induced degradation in polymer films

- Perylenediimide fluorophores linked to nitroxides represent new probes to monitor photo-oxidative degradation in organic polymer materials.
- The fluorescence emission from fluorophore-nitroxide probes provides a highly sensitive response correlated to the level of photo-induced radical-mediated damage in organic materials.
- Fluorescence emission from the probes provides a measure of exposure derived degradation and damage that enables new methods to monitor and predict the lifetime of protective coatings and structural organic materials.

A range of profluorescent nitroxides (PFNs) were tested as probes to monitor photo-induced radical-mediated damage in polymer materials. The most stable and sensitive probe of the PFNs tested was an alkyne-linked perylenediimide PFN, 6b, with napthalimide and 9,10-bis(phenylethnyl)anthranene-based versions giving lower stability and sensitivity. Results from photo-ageing of poly(1-trimethylsilyl)-1-propyne (PTMSP) and the ethylene norbornene copolymer (TOPAS®) films doped with PFN probes demonstrated that sensors employing these support materials deliver significantly enhanced sensitivity compared to traditional techniques used to monitor photo-oxidative degradation of polymers, such as infrared spectroscopy. This enhanced sensitivity for detecting polymer damage improved methods for the determination of the serviceable application lifetime of polymers.

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