Synthesis of non-amphiphilic block copolymer with S-trityl-cysteine and pyrene units by ATRP polymerization: characterization and fluorescence study

Abstract

A new diblock copolymer, 1-methylpyrene isobutyrate–poly(methyl methacrylate–block-N-acryloyl-S-trityl-cysteine)-Br (Py–PMMA–b-ATCys-Br), was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-acryloyl-S-trityl-L-cysteine monomer (ATCys) with 1-methylpyrene isobutyrate–poly(methyl methacrylate)–Br as a macroinitiator. The diblock copolymer and its precursor were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and glass transition temperatures (Tg) measurements. Fluorescence properties of the diblock copolymer were investigated using various quenching (Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Pb²⁺) in dimethylformamide solutions, the more efficient quenchers being the Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ ions. In addition, the effect of in situ photogenerated silver nanoparticles on the copolymer fluorescence was also investigated.

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