Photophysical studies of hydrophobically functionalized polyionene systems in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Complexes of polyionene and anionic dyes and surfactant were prepared by exchange reaction of counterions in the parent polymer. Fluorescence studies were conducted to observe some characteristic behaviour of these complexes in water Polyionenes with aromatic hydrocarbons adopt an open conformation and there is no evidence for interpolymer interactions. On the contrary, polyionenes with long aliphatic counterions easily form microdomains in aqueous solution due to hydrophobic interaction as evidenced by an increase in excimer emission. Microdomains have an interpolymer nature, as confirmed by measurements of energy transfer from naphthalene to pyrene moieties. Polyionenes with SDS counterions interact with external surfactant molecules and form polymer–surfactant aggregates. Electrostatic repulsions between aggregates dominate on hydrophobic interaction between polymer chains and are responsible for conformational changes. Keywords: hydrophobically modified polymers, surfactants, complexation, fluorescence, nonradiative energy transfer