Synthesis of the polymers containing norbornene and tetraphenylethene by ring-opening metathesis polymerization and their structural characterization, aggregation-induced emission and aniline detection

Abstract

Well-defined norbornene-based homopolymers and block copolymers containing tetraphenylethene or fluorinated tetraphenylethene moieties were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of the corresponding monomers using the third-generation Grubbs' initiator. The molecular weight of the polymers is close to the theoretical molecular weight and the polydispersity index is as low as 1.01 to 1.07. All polymers exhibit aggregation-induced emission characteristics and reveal high emission in solid state and aggregate state. In general, the quantum yield of the polymers in aggregate state is more than 100 times higher than that of the solution. The sensing ability of the polymers for aniline in the aggregated state exhibits the detection limit of concentration of 5 × 10−6 M. In addition, the minimum concentration of aniline detected by fluorescent test papers is as low as 10−3 to10−4 M.