ATRP Synthesis of Poly(4-bromostyrene)-b-Poly(propylene glycol) Block Copolymer and Its Self-Assembly in Catalystic Emulsion Polymerization to Form Luminescent Nanospheres with Core-Shell Structure

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) synthesis methods in water/oil system for preparing poly (propylene glycol)-b-poly (4-bromostyrene)(PPG-b-PBS) diblock nanosphere was investigated. Molecular weights and polydispersities of polymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis with polystyrene as the standards. The UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectral data of the nanosphere solutions were measured in toluene solutions. The UV-visible absorption data of PPG42-b-PSBr25 and the nanospheres with different BTH contents show an absorption maximum at about 359-363 nm. It was observed that the extended hydrophobic block can crosslink with each other by the Suzuki coupling reaction and become an inseparable part of the latex particle with conjugated chains. This novel type of water-soluble luminescent nanospheres with core-shell structure can be applied in bioanalysis, biomedical, and ink-jetting process for light-emitting devices.