Preparation of polymer latex particles carrying salt-responsive fluorescent graft chains

- Preparation of polymer particles carrying ATRP initiators.
- Graft polymerization of PEGylated macromonomers with glycidyl methacrylate.
- Introduction of dansyl-derivative by azidation and click chemistry.
- Evaluation of salt-responsive emission behavior for polymer particles.

We prepared the novel fluorescent polymer latex particles which can change their fluorescence intensity in response to the increasing NaCl concentration in water. Core polymer latex particles were synthesized by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of styrene and 2-(2-chloroisobutyroyloxy)ethyl methacrylate. Hydrophilic polymer chains containing epoxy groups were grafted from the core particles by surface-initiated atom transfer radical copolymerization of methoxy polyethyleneglycol methacrylate (MEOxMA, x = 4 or 9) and glycidyl methacrylate in aqueous media. After azidation of epoxy groups in graft chains, a water-soluble fluorescent dansyl derivative was successfully coupled with the graft chains by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition in aqueous media. The wavelength of maximum fluorescence intensity of polymer particles carrying graft chains with longer PEG side chains (x = 9) was slightly blue-shifted (7 nm) and the fluorescence intensity increased (1.35 times) with an increase in NaCl concentration as opposed to polymer particles with shorter PEG chains (x = 4).