Chromo- and fluorophoric water-soluble polymers and silica particles by nucleophilic substitution reaction of poly(vinyl amine)

Novel chromophoric and fluorescent carbonitrile-functionalized poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) and PVAm/silica particles were synthesized by means of nucleophilic aromatic substitution of 8-oxo-8H-acenaphtho[1,2-b]pyrrol-9-carbonitrile (1) with PVAm in water. The water solubility of 1 has been mediated by 2,6-O-β-dimethylcyclodextrin or by pre-adsorption onto silica particles. Furthermore, 1 was converted with isopropylamine into the model compound 1-M. All new compounds were characterized by NMR, FTIR, UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The solvent-dependent UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission band positions of the model compound and the carbonitrile-functionalized PVAm were studied and interpreted using the empirical Kamlet–Taft solvent parameters π(*) (dipolarity/polarizability), α (hydrogen-bond donating capacity) and β (hydrogen-accepting ability) in terms of the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER). The solvent-independent regression coefficients a, b and s were determined using multiple linear correlation analysis. It is shown, that the chains of the polymer have a significant influence on the solvatochromic behavior of 1-P. The structure of the carbonitrile 1-Si bound to polymer-modified silica particles was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements. Fluorescent silica particles were obtained as shown by fluorescence spectroscopy with a diffuse reflectance technique.