Synthesis and spectral properties of new N-substituted naphthalimide luminophores for structural coloration of polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene

Two new unsaturated acryloxide derivatives of 4-amino-substituted-1,8-naphthalimide luminophores were synthesized. Their absorption and fluorescent properties were determined in both CHCl₃ and C₂H₅OH. The luminophores display a broad absorption band in the visible spectral region (halfband-width up to 4433 cm⁻¹) and a fluorescence in the yellow-green region (526–530 nm). The compounds are yellow colored, with a high brightness (from 2.92 up to 6.75) and a purity of color. The possibility of including naphthalimide luminophores in copolymerization process with ST and MMA resulting in the formation of colored polymers was investigated. It was found that no changes in the chemical structure of the chromophore group occurred during copolymerization. More than 92% of the initial luminophores were bound to the polymer chain. The influence of the luminophores on the kinetics of polymerization was studied, and the average viscosimetric molecular weight, M_v, of the obtained colored polymers estimated. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1069–1076, 1997