Copolymerization of Phenylselenide-Substituted Maleimide with Styrene and Its Oxidative Elimination Behavior

Selenium-containing monomer monophenyl maleimide selenide (MSM) was synthesized and copolymerized with styrene (St) using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Copolymers with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained. The structure of the copolymer was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrum, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The copolymer can be oxidized by H(2)O(2) to form carbon-carbon double bonds within the main chain due to the unique sensitivity of selenide groups in the presence of oxidants. Such structure changing resulted in an interesting concentration-related photoluminescence emission enhancement.