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N-isopropylacrylamide and spiropyran copolymer-grafted fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with dual responses to light and temperature stimuli

Polymer Journal volume 52, pages 1289–1298 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

The fluorescent nanocomposites of carbon nanoparticles grafted with N-isopropylacrylamide and spiropyran copolymers (f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP)) were successfully synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The synthesized f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP) nanocomposites could be well dissolved in water and retain the fluorescence of carbon nanoparticles, which could simultaneously fluoresce blue-green and red. The blue-green and red fluorescence of the f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP) nanocomposites dissolved in water could be reversibly switched under UV and visible light stimuli. When the temperature increased from room temperature (20 °C) to 38 °C, the blue-green fluorescence intensity decreased, the red fluorescence intensity increased, and the average hydrodynamic diameter of the f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP) nanocomposites increased due to aggregation.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (project nos. 21776218, 51778266, and 81701837), the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (project no. 2020JJ4303) and the Open Fund of the Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, 411201, Xiangtan, China

    Bo Liao, Xiangquan Liu, Wenjuan Liu, Shoujun Yi & Qingquan Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, 411201, Xiangtan, China

    Bo Liao

  3. State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, 300387, Tianjin, China

    Shuyu Liao & Benqiao He

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  1. Bo Liao
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Liao, B., Liu, X., Liao, S. et al. N-isopropylacrylamide and spiropyran copolymer-grafted fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with dual responses to light and temperature stimuli. Polym J 52, 1289–1298 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-020-0383-0

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