Probing Light-Matter Interactions: Fluorescence Lifetime Manipulation in a Crystalline Colloidal Array.

The connection between a structured environment and the decay kinetics of an embedded emitter is explored by copolymerizing a naphthalimide derivative within polystyrene-based nanoparticles. The nanoparticles spontaneously self-assemble into a crystalline colloidal array, resulting in a partial photonic bandgap, or rejection wavelength, in the visible regime. The rejection wavelength of the liquid ordered array can be shifted across the emission spectrum of the nanoparticles by dilution with deionized water, which increases the interparticle spacing of the array.

Synthesis, electropolymerization and functionalization click chemistry of -alkynylated dithieno[3,2-:2',3'-]pyrrole.

A new N-alkynylated dithieno[3,2-:2',3'-]pyrrole (DTP) monomer was synthesized using a Buchwald-Hartwig amination of 3,3'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene with pent-4-yn-1-amine. The obtained monomer was investigated for the possibility of a pre-polymerization modification Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition ("click") reaction with azide-containing organic compounds. The synthesized N-alkynylated DTP monomer is soluble in a number of organic solvents and reacts with organic azides "click" reactions in mild conditions, achieving high yields.

Radioluminescent Photonic Bandgap Hydrogels: Mechanochromic Tunable Emissions.

Fully organic, radioluminescent crystalline colloidal arrays (CCAs) with covalently incorporated emitters were synthesized by using up to three organic fluorophores that were Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) pairs with each other. The emitters were covalently incorporated into monodisperse poly(styrene--propargyl acrylate) nanoparticles in various combinations, resulting in blue-, green-, and red-emitting CCAs when excited with an X-ray source. The negatively charged surfaces of the monodisperse nanoparticles caused self-assembly into a crystal-like structure, which resulted in a partial photonic bandgap (i.

Control of Vancomycin Activity through the Encapsulation and Controlled Release from a Propargyl Acrylate-Poloxamer Nanocomposite System.

Vancomycin is a potent antibacterial drug that suffers from poor bioavailability due to its poor water solubility and relatively high molecular weight. Consequently, the application of vancomycin to treat bacteria-induced disease is limited. In this study, the ability of a temperature-stimulated propargyl acrylate-poloxamer nanocomposite (PAPN) system to encapsulate and release vancomycin is investigated.