Rapid detection of aromatic pollutants in water using swellable micelles of fluorescent polymers

Abstract

We constructed a kind of novel swellable fluorescent micelles for rapid and sensitive detection of toxic aromatic pollutants (APs) in water based on capture-report strategy. An amphiphilic triblock copolymer capped with an aggregation induced emission (AIE) chromophore self assembled into micelles with core-shell structures in aqueous solution. Hydrophobic segments of block polymers organized into cores with the AIE chromophore near the core/shell interface, which were stabilized by a corona of water-soluble polymer segments. Water-soluble polymer segments captured APs in water. The captured pollutants were subsequently transported to hydrophobic cores of micelles. The cores swelled after absorbing APs, leading to fluorescence quenching of the AIE chromophores. The fluorescent micelles allowed rapid detection of APs in the order of seconds at a concentration of 1 ug/L. Compared with commercial GC–MS, the fluorescent micelles require a much smaller amount sample and are much quicker with comparable sensitivity. With the merits of high sensitivity, rapid response, simple operation procedures, and low cost, the fluorescent micelles provide an ideal candidate for the facile detection of toxic aromatic pollutants in water.