Conformational study of a single molecule of poly para phenylene ethynylenes in dilute solutions

The conformation of single molecules of dialkyl poly para phenylene ethynylenes (PPEs), electro-active polymers, is studied in solutions using molecular dynamics simulations. The conformation of conjugated polymers affects their electro-optical properties and therefore is critical to their current and potential uses, though only limited theoretical knowledge is available regarding the factors that control their configuration. The present study investigates the affects of molecular parameters including molecular weight of the polymer and chemical structure of the side chains of PPEs in different solvents on the conformation of the polymers. The PPEs are modeled atomistically where the solvents are modeled both implicitly and explicitly. The study finds that PPEs assume extended configuration which is affected by the length of the polymer backbone and the nature and length of substituting side chains. While the polymer remains extended, local dynamics is retained and no long range correlations are observed within the backbone. The results are compared with scattering experiments.     

Synthesis of biodegradable conjugated polymers with controlled backbone flexibility

A series of flexible, highly bright fluorescent poly(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s (PPEs) was prepared by employing a disulfide containing nonconjugated monomer at various ratios under Sonogashira reaction conditions. PPEs with flexible linkers exhibited fluorescence properties comparable to those of a fully conjugated PPE when less than 50% of flexible monomers were incorporated into the backbone. To evaluate the self‐assembly properties of PPEs, a series of conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) was fabricated by treating PPEs with organic acids followed by dialysis. CPNs containing linkers exhibited different complexation behavior with polysaccharides, warranting further investigation into how flexibility and biodegradability of CPNs influence their cellular interaction and entry. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1403–1412     

Influence of branching on the chiral self‐assembly of poly(phenylene ethynylene)

In this contribution, we report the synthesis of chiral all‐conjugated branched poly(phenylene ethynylenes) with a controlled amount of branching. Subsequently, the self‐assembly of these PPEs is studied by means of UV–vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and DSC and the influence of branching is investigated. Finally, CD‐spectroscopy is used to study the influence of branching and self‐assembly on the chiral expression of these polymers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 79–84     

Structure—Property relationships for exciton transfer in conjugated polymers

The ability of conjugated polymers to function as electronic materials is dependent on the efficient transport of excitons along the polymer chain. Generally, the photophysics of the chromophore monomer dictate the excited state behavior of the corresponding conjugated polymers. Different molecular structures are examined to study the role of excited state lifetimes and molecular conformations on energy transfer. The incorporation of rigid, three‐dimensional scaffolds, such as iptycenes and cyclophanes, can encourage an oblique packing of the chromophore units of a conjugated polymer, thus allowing the formation of electronically‐coupled aggregates that retain high quantum yields of emission. Rigid iptycene scaffolds also act as excellent structural directors that encourage complete solvation of PPEs in a liquid crystal (LC) solvent. LC‐PPE mixtures display both an enhanced conformational alignment of polymer chains and extended effective conjugation lengths relative to isotropic solutions, which leads to enhanced energy transfer. Facile exciton migration in poly(p‐phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) allows energy absorbed over large areas to be funneled into traps created by the binding of analytes, resulting in signal amplification in sensory devices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Perturbation of fluorescence by nonspecific interactions between anionic poly(phenylenevinylene)s and proteins: implications for biosensors

The use of anionic water-soluble conjugated polymers (CPs) for sensing the presence of avidin by use of a biotin-modified fluorescence quencher was studied. The molecules involved in the study included poly[2-methoxy-5-(3'-propyloxysulfonate)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] with either lithium (Li+-MPS-PPV) or sodium (Na(+)-MPS-PPV) countercations, the well-defined oligomer pentasodium 1,4-bis(4'(2",4"-bis(butoxysulfonate)-styryl)-styryl)2-butoxysulfonate-5-methoxybenzene (5R5-), the quenchers N-methyl-4,4'-pyridylpyridinium iodide (mMV+) and [N-(biotinoyl)-N'-(acetyl 4,4'-pyridylpyridinium iodide)] ethylenediamine (BPP+), which contains a molecular recognition fragment (biotin) attached to a unit that accepts an electron from a CP excited state, and the proteins avidin, tau, BSA, and pepsin A. Fluorescence quenching experiments were examined in a variety of conditions. Experiments carried out in water and in ammonium carbonate buffer (which ensures avidin/biotin complexation) reveal that nonspecific interactions between the CP and the proteins cause substantial perturbations on the CP fluorescence. The overall findings are not consistent with a simple mechanism whereby avidin complexation of BPP+ leads to encapsulation of the quencher molecule and recovery of Li+-MPS-PPV fluorescence. Instead, we propose that binding of BPP+ to avidin results in the quenching unit attaching to a positively charged macromolecule. Electrostatic attraction to the negatively charged conjugated polymer results in closer proximity to the quencher. Therefore, more enhanced fluorescence quenching is observed.     

Multiplexed detection of protein cancer markers on Au/Ag-barcoded nanorods using fluorescent-conjugated polymers

Integration of fluorescent-conjugated polymers as detection moiety with metallic striped nanorods for multiplexed detection of clinically important cancer marker proteins in an immunoassay format was demonstrated in this report. Specifically, cationic conjugated polymers were introduced to protein complexes through electrostatic binding to negatively charged double-stranded DNA, which was tagged on detection antibodies prior to antigen recognition. The intense fluorescence emission of conjugated polymers resulted in highly sensitive detection of cancer marker proteins wherein an undiluted bovine serum sample as low as ∼25 target molecules captured on each particle was detectable. Meanwhile, the use of polymer molecules as the detection probe did not obscure the optical pattern of underlying nanorods, i.e., the encoding capability of barcoded nanorods was preserved, which allowed simultaneous detection of three cancer marker proteins with good specificity.     

Enhance effect of surfactants on the photoluminescence and photostability of water-soluble poly(phenylene ethynylene)

The interaction between the water-soluble anionic fluorescence conjugated polyelectrolytes PPESO 3 (poly[2,5-bis(3-sulfonatopropoxy)-1,4-phenylethynylene-alt- 1,4-poly(phenylene ethynylene)]) and various surfactants has been studied in aqueous solution by UV-vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra. With the addition of surfactants, the aggregations of polymers are broken up. For eliminating the self-quenching effect of the fluorescent polymers, the photoluminescence of PPESO 3 is dramatically enhanced. The photoluminescence of PPESO 3 can be enhanced 6- to 12-fold with the addition of different surfactants, and at higher concentration of surfactants, the photostability of PPESO 3 is also highly increased. A "micelle incorporation model" is proposed to explain the enhancement of photostability. To deeply understand the interaction processes between PPESO 3 and surfactants, we systematically studied the fluorescence spectra changes of PPESO 3 and the dynamic processes at different CTAB concentrations. All results prove the surfactants can simultaneously enhance the photoluminescence and photostability of water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolytes, and this method is very simple and powerful.     

Quantification of amplified quenching for conjugated polymer microsphere systems

A series of nonaggregating carboxylate-functionalized poly(phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) have been synthesized for immobilization via electrostatic adsorption onto Eu3+-polystyrene microspheres with a mean diameter of 0.2 microm. This system is shown to constitute a ratiometric system that measures fluorescence quenching with high fidelity. The fluorescence quenching properties of the polymer-coated particles in response to methyl viologen and a naphthyl-functionalized viologen have been investigated in aqueous solutions to study the influence of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with pentiptycene-incorporated as well as macrocycle-containing polymers.     

Optimization of the molecular orbital energies of conjugated polymers for optical amplification of fluorescent sensors

Cationic water-soluble poly(fluorene-co-phenylene)s with electron withdrawing or donating substituents on the conjugated backbone were designed and synthesized. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments between these conjugated polymers and dye-labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA-C*) reveal the importance of matching donor and acceptor orbital energy levels to improve the sensitization of C* emission. Quenching of polymer fluorescence with ssDNA-C* and differences in C* emission suggest involvement of photoinduced charge transfer (PCT) as an energy wasting mechanism. The HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the conjugated polymers and C serve as a preliminary basis to understand the competition between FRET and PCT. Dilution of C in polymer/ssDNA-C complexes by addition of ssDNA yields insight into C*...C self-quenching. Under optimized conditions, where there is no probe self-quenching and minimum PCT, efficient signal amplification is demonstrated despite poor spectral overlap between polymer and C.     

基于能量转移机理的水溶性荧光共轭聚合物体系的设计制备及应用

水溶性共轭聚合物由于具有优异的光学性能,如强大的光捕获能力和独特的分子线效应,在化学、生物和医疗领域都有良好的应用前景。共轭聚合物受光激发后,所产生的激子可以沿着长程共轭的π骨架自由迁移,在分子骨架的任何位点都可以转移给能量受体,从而实现高效的能量传递。因此,水溶性共轭聚合物适合于构建各种能量传递体系,从而实现荧光信号放大、多色发光、活性氧产生效率提高等光学性能的优化。本文简述了基于水溶性共轭聚合物构建能量转移体系的原理和方法,总结了其在生物传感、生物成像、光动力杀菌和光动力抗癌等领域的应用,最后对水溶性共轭聚合物存在的主要问题以及未来的发展方向进行了分析和展望。     

Self-amplifying sensory materials: energy migration in polymer semiconductors

Signal amplification for ultra-sensitive detection has been achieved by energy migration in conjugated semiconducting polymeric assemblies. Critical to optimizing this effect is the synthesis of non-aggregate polymers, the multidimensional directional transport of excited states (excitons), and extending the intrinsic excited state lifetime of conjugated polymers. We developed new water-soluble non-ionic conjugated polymers for use in biosensory applications, which can be used to provide highly sensitive/specific ultra-trace detection that is immune to specificity problems that plauge ionic conjugated polymers.     

Synthesis and application of poly(phenylene ethynylene)s for bioconjugation: a conjugated polymer-based fluorogenic probe for proteases

A set of carboxylate-functionalized poly(phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) has been synthesized in which the carboxylic acid groups are separated from the polymer backbone by oligo(ethylene glycol) spacer units. These polymers are soluble in water and organic solvents and have photophysical properties that are sensitive to solvent conditions, with high salt content and the absence of surfactant promoting the formation of aggregates of relatively low quantum yield and long fluorescence lifetime. Quenching of these materials by the dinitrophenyl (DNP) chromophore (K(SV) approximately 10(4)) is also highly solvent-dependent. The presence of carboxylate groups far from the polymer backbone appended to each repeating unit allows for the postpolymerization modification of these PPEs with peptides by methods analogous to those described for carboxylate-functionalized small-molecule dyes. Covalent attachment of the fluorescence-quenching 14-mer Lys(DNP)-GPLGMRGLGGGGK to the PPE results in a nonemissive substrate whose fluorescence is restored upon treatment with trypsin. The rate of fluorescence turn-on in this case is increased 3-fold by the presence of surfactant, though the actual rate of peptide hydrolysis remains the same. A small-molecule mimic of the polymer-peptide system shows a smaller fluorescence enhancement upon treatment with trypsin, illustrating the value of polymer-based amplification in this sensory scheme.     

荧光共轭聚合物在生物大分子检测中的应用*

共轭聚合物因其具有π-电子体系及共轭离域结构,一般都具有优异的发光性能,其发光强度和发射波长会随被检测化合物结构的不同而发生特异性响应,特别是在与被检测物相互作用过程中所产生电荷和能量能够沿共轭分子链进行有效传递,成倍放大这种作用,从而有效提高了检测灵敏度,这比相应的小分子化合物更具有优越性。目前共轭聚合物已被用于开发新型化学、生物传感器,尤其是在生物分子检测方面的应用得到迅速的发展。本文总结了近年来荧光共轭聚合物在生物传感方面的研究进展,主要讨论共轭聚合物在蛋白质、核酸及毒素检测中的应用。     

Sugar-poly(para-phenylene ethynylene) conjugates as sensory materials: efficient quenching by Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions

Three polar poly(para-phenylene ethynylene)s (PPE) were synthesized by utilizing the Heck-Sonogashira protocol. Two of the PPEs carry beta-glucopyranose substituents. Depending upon the linker used between the glycol units and the backbone, the fluorescence of these PPEs can be quenched by Hg2+ and Pb2+ to a varying degree. Monomeric model compounds that are substituted with only one glucose unit are not efficiently quenched. The presence of many glucose substituents in one PPE assembly led to a large increase in the binding constant to Hg2+ and quenching of the fluorescence was amplified.     

Protein resistance of titanium oxide surfaces modified by biologically inspired mPEG-DOPA

In the present study, we have utilized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (ELM), and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) to examine the surface adsorption and protein resistance behavior of bio-inspired polymers consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugated to peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins. Peptides containing up to three residues of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), a key component of mussel adhesive proteins, were conjugated to monomethoxy-terminated PEG polymers. These mPEG-DOPA polymers were found to be highly adhesive to TiO2 surfaces, with quantitative XPS analysis providing useful insight into the binding mechanism. Additionally, the antifouling properties of immobilized PEG were reflected in the excellent resistance of mPEG-DOPA-modified TiO2 surfaces to protein adsorption. Measurements of mPEG-DOPA and human serum adsorption were related in terms of ethylene glycol (EG) surface density and serum mass adsorbed and demonstrated a threshold of approximately 15-20 EG/nm2, above which substantially little protein adsorbs. With respect to surface density of adsorbed PEG and the associated nonfouling behavior of the adlayers, strong parallels exist between the nonfouling properties of the surface-bound mPEG-DOPA polymers and PEG polymers immobilized to surfaces using other approaches. Peptide anchors containing three DOPA residues resulted in PEG surface densities higher than those achieved using several existing PEG immobilization strategies, suggesting that peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins may be useful for achieving high densities of protein-resistant polymers on surfaces.     

Cationic conjugated polymers for homogeneous and sensitive fluorescence detection of hyaluronidase

The cationic charged water-soluble polyfluorenes containing 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT) units (P1–3) have been synthesized and characterized. These polymers demonstrate intramolecular energy transfer from the fluorene units to the BT sites when oppositely charged hyaluronan is added due to the formation of electrostatic complexes, followed by a shift in emission color from blue to green or brown. Upon adding hyaluronidase, the hyaluronan is cleaved into fragments. The relatively weak electrostatic interactions of hyaluronan fragments with polyfluorenes keep their main chains separated and energy transfer from the fluorene units to the BT sites is inefficient, and the polyfluorenes recover their blue emissions. The complexes of conjugated polymers/hyaluronan can be utilized as probes for sensitive and facile fluorescence assays for hyaluronidase. The new assay method interfaces with the aggregation and light harvesting properties of conjugated polymers. Supported by the “100 Talents” Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20725308 & 20721061), and 973 Project (Grant Nos. 2006CB806200 & 2006CB932100)     

Innenrücktitelbild: Developing Conjugated Polymers with High Electron Affinity by Replacing a C?C Unit with a B←N Unit (Angew. Chem. 12/2015)

The key parameters of conjugated polymers are lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels. Few approaches can simultaneously lower LUMO and HOMO energy levels of conjugated polymers to a large extent (>0.5 eV). Disclosed herein is a novel strategy to decrease both LUMO and HOMO energy levels of conjugated polymers by about 0.6 eV through replacement of a C C unit by a B←N unit. The replacement makes the resulting polymer transform from an electron donor into an electron acceptor, and is proven by fluorescence quenching experiments and the photovoltaic response. This work not only provides an effective approach to tune the LUMO/HOMO energy levels of conjugated polymers, but also uses organic boron chemistry as a new toolbox to develop conjugated polymers with high electron affinity for polymer optoelectronic devices.     

Developing Conjugated Polymers with High Electron Affinity by Replacing a CC Unit with a B←N Unit

The key parameters of conjugated polymers are lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels. Few approaches can simultaneously lower LUMO and HOMO energy levels of conjugated polymers to a large extent (>0.5 eV). Disclosed herein is a novel strategy to decrease both LUMO and HOMO energy levels of conjugated polymers by about 0.6 eV through replacement of a C? C unit by a B←N unit. The replacement makes the resulting polymer transform from an electron donor into an electron acceptor, and is proven by fluorescence quenching experiments and the photovoltaic response. This work not only provides an effective approach to tune the LUMO/HOMO energy levels of conjugated polymers, but also uses organic boron chemistry as a new toolbox to develop conjugated polymers with high electron affinity for polymer optoelectronic devices.     

Nido-carborane encapsulated by BODIPY zwitterionic polymers: Synthesis,photophysical properties and cell imaging

Carborane encapsulation was visualized by using fluoroboropyrrole (BODIPY) zwitterionic polymer as fluorescence marker. Firstly, a water-soluble fluorescent probe carrier was prepared by combining the BODIPY derivatives with poly (carboxybetaine methacrylate) (p-CBMA). Two oil-in-water carborane polymers were self-assembled in organic solvents by means of dual ion hydrogen bonding. The ultraviolet and fluorescence spectra were measured with different organic solvents, and the spectra ranged from 531 to 555 nm. The dynamic self-assembly effect was tested by TEM, and the internal microscopic phenomena of the water-soluble polymer were further observed. It was confirmed that two kinds of BODIPY zwitterionic polymers were firmly encase the fat-soluble carborane, forming an oval shape. Carboranes are water-soluble, can achieve biocompatible expression, and can visualize the degree of aggregation in the targeted cells through its own fluorescence effect. Subsequent imaging of the cells showed that both polymers entered the targeted cells.