Interactions Between Gold Nanoparticles and Polymer Bearing 3-Styryl Thiophene Chromophores

The interactions between gold nanoparticles and a novel acrylate copolymer bearing 3-styryl thiophene chromophores were studied spectrally and electrochemically. The emission intensity of the polymer solution can be quenched by gold nanoparticles. Collisional quenching is likely the main mechanism for the deactivation process and heterogeneous electron transfer takes place in the process. For the solid polymer film, the presence of gold nanoparticles reduces the emission intensity of the single chromophore as well as the intensity of the excimers. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations indicate that the polymer solution exhibits no oxidation wave. However, in the presence of gold nanoparticles, either by directly addition to the polymer solution or by deposition on the ITO electrode, the polymer solutions possess distinct CV oxidation peak(s), indicating that the gold nanoparticles may mediate the contact and enhance the electron transfer between the electrode and chromophores.