Meta-linked cationic poly(pyridinylene vinylene) conjugated polyelectrolytes: solution photophysics and fluorescent sensing of metal ions

Two novel poly(pyridinylene vinylene) (PPV)-type conjugated polyelectrolytes 2,6-PPYPV-(2+) and 3,5-PPYPV-(2+) were synthesized via Heck coupling reaction and characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The two polymers consisting of meta-position substituted pyridinylenes as the metal recognition unit and a water-soluble divinyl-benzene derivative in the backbones. 2,6-PPYPV-(2+) and 3,5-PPYPV-(2+) both exhibit strongest fluorescence in methanol and weakest fluorescence in water among common polar solvents. In respect of ion detection, 3,5-PPYPV-(2+) has an excellent identifiability for Pd2+ in methanol with the K_SV value of 1.1×105 m −1 while 2,6-PPYPV-(2+) has a good selectivity for Cu2+ and Hg2+ in aqueous solution. And all the Stern-Volmer plots of 2,6-PPYPV-(2+) and 3,5-PPYPV-(2+) in fluorescence quenching for metal ions have favorable tendencies. All the results suggest that 2,6-PPYPV-(2+) and 3,5-PPYPV-(2+) are promising materials in the applications of high performance chemosensors for some specific metal ions.