Photomodulation of Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles via Photochromic Dye Doping

Abstract

Two types of dye-doped conjugated polymer nanoparticles that undergo fluorescence photomodulation were successfully created. The modulation of polymer nanoparticle fluorescence is possible via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). FRET occurs when an acceptor's absorbance has good spectral overlap with a donor's fluorescence, allowing the donor to pass its energy to the acceptor. The donor in this work is the conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and the acceptor is a photochromic dye, either a spirooxazine or a diarylethene in my case