Hydroxyl–yne click polymerization: a facile strategy toward poly(vinyl amino ether ester)s with color-tunable luminescence

Abstract

In this research, we developed a facile and environmentally friendly hydroxyl–yne click polymerization for preparing color-tunable unconventional fluorescent polymers; this polymerization could be performed under mild conditions without external catalysts and solvents. A series of poly(vinyl amino ether ester)s (PVAEEs) with high molecular weights (M_w up to 71 700 g mol⁻¹) and well-defined structures were obtained in high yields (up to 99%). Moreover, the obtained PVAEEs exhibited unique aggregation-enhanced, molecular-weight-dependent, and excitation-dependent emission characteristics. Furthermore, PVAEEs with color-tunable luminescence could be easily synthesized by adjusting the carbon chain length of diynes, which was controlled based on the distance between the carbon–carbon double bond and the aliphatic tertiary amine chromophores in the polymer chain. Thus, this study established an efficient and environmentally friendly self-catalyzed hydroxyl–yne click polymerization and provided a novel perspective for the preparation of color-tunable unconventional luminescent materials.