Hybrid core-shell nanoparticles have attracted attention due to their unique characteristics which combine properties of the inorganic core and organic shell in a way that generates new properties which do not exist for the two individual parts. This makes them promising candidates for the design of stimuli-responsive materials, chemo- and biosensors, and various biomedical applications. In this dissertation research, we designed and prepared a series of hybrid environmentally responsive nanoparticles where fluorescent block copolymers, including various combinations of polythiophene (PT), poly(p-phenylene) (PPP), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and polyallene (PA), were grafted on the surface of inorganic nanoparticles using surface-confined Kumada catalyst-transfer polymerization. The studied inorganic core included silica and silica on gold nanoparticles. We found that the photophysical properties of the hybrid nanoparticles were strongly dependent on the proximity of the organic polymer shells to the inorganic surface (Au), polymer block sequence in the organic shell, and external stimuli such as solvent or pH. This dissertation primarily focuses on the development and preparation of well-defined hybrid inorganic core – organic polymer materials. This preparation stems from the well-defined and highly efficient surface-confined Ni(II) catalytic initiator which provided controlled chain-growth polymerization to form conjugated polymer shells. The role of inorganic core and other structural effects on the properties of the conjugated polymer shells were studied using both steady-state and time resolved transient spectroscopies. Better knowledge and understanding of these fundamental properties will enable rational control of these properties at the molecular level and will create the fundamental basis for the design of future optoelectronic and sensing materials
