| 초록 |
We developed new pH sensors based on poly(N-phenylmaleimide) (PPMI) and its derivatives. The PPMI showed strong solvatochromism and tautomerism that lead to the reversible changes in emission color among green, yellow, and orange by varying pH, accompanied by the alteration in both emission wavelength and intensity. The intriguing luminescence properties were ascribed to different electronic energy states of PPMI tautomers based on computational calculations. In particular, upon synthesizing a block copolymer, in which PPMI and water-soluble poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are covalently attached, a ratiometric tricolor-switching pH sensor showing fast response time, high sensitivity, and non-significant self-quenching was successfully developed. Key to success stemmed from self-assembly nature of PEO-PPMI block copolymer. The facile synthesis of PPMI in large-scale and easy processability into numerous device forms further highlighted the impact of our work on the structure of pH sensors. |
