Natural polyphenol fluorescent polymer dots

Abstract

The production of fluorescent polymer dots (PDs) from biomass compounds usually requires additional toxic reagents or external energy input, due to which the facile and green fabrication strategies are still highly desirable. Herein, we report the general and modular preparation of natural polyphenol-based fluorescent PDs via a one-pot co-polymerization reaction under a mild condition. The use of natural polyphenols as the starting materials has completely prevented the use of organic solvents and harsh chemicals, whereas the high reactivity of natural polyphenols allowed the facile and modular fabrication of fluorescent PDs without any external energy input and sophisticated organic synthesis. The luminescence properties of the resulting PDs were dependent on the structure of natural polyphenols, and it was found that PDs possessed good photostability and biocompatibility. In addition, PDs showed high selectivity towards copper ions among cations, anions, and biomolecules, which were further employed to detect copper ions in living cells and environmental water samples. Thus, this strategy offers a green and facile route for the design and preparation of natural molecule-based PDs for biomedical and environmental applications.