Combination of a fluorescent conjugated polymer, photochromic dye, and UV-curable acryl oligomer for fluorescence switching applications. (November 2017) - Park, Hyosang
Abstract: A fluorescent conjugated polymer (FCP) and a photochromic dye (PD) were combined to investigate fluorescence (FL) switching through energy transfer between them. When the PD-dispersed FCP film was irradiated with UV light, no FL change was observed. However, when the film was wetted with paraffin oil, the FL emission was significantly attenuated by UV-light irradiation and subsequently restored by visible-light irradiation. Moreover, when the two materials FCP and PD were further mixed with an acryl oligomer made from n -butyl acrylate and a crosslinker, a well-featured solid film with a smooth surface was obtained after UV curing. Similar to the wet film, this three-component solid film showed a significant FL switching that was highly reversible and reproducible without any attenuation in the performance and appearance. Graphical abstract: Highlights: A fluorescent conjugated polymer and photochromic dye were combined to evaluate fluorescence switching. The two-component film did not show any fluorescence change under UV-light exposure. When wetted with paraffin oil, the fluorescence emission was attenuated under UV light and then restored under visible light. When further mixed with a low Tg acryl oligomer, the three-component film showed a significant fluorescence switching. Fluorescence switching was highly reversible and reproducible without any attenuation in the performance and appearance.