Synthesis and Characterization of Mercuriated Copolymers ofN-vinylcarbazole and Acrylic Acid

Abstract

Both linear and crosslinked copolymers of N-vinylcarbazole and methylacrylate were prepared and mercuriated using mercury trifluoroacetate in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dichloromethane. The mercuriated copolymers, both linear and crosslinked, were hydrolyzed with sodium hydroxide in a mixture of water and THF. The hydrolyzed mercury loading linear copolymer was soluble in water, and the hydrolyzed mercury loading crosslinked copolymer was a waterabsorbing polymer. The iodization of the hydrolyzed mercuriated copolymers was carried out in water with Kl3, and the iodization of unhydrolyzed mercuriated copolymers was done in THF with I2. The conformation of the hydrolyzed mercuriated polymer chains could be changed by changing the pH of the aqueous solution. Both the change of conformations and amounts (%) of mercury loading to the carbazoles affected the fluorescence of the carbazole copolymers. The forms of crosslinked mercuriated copolymers could be changed in different solvents and a change of form could affect the chemical modification of metallated aromatic polymers.