Anchoring of fluorophores to plasma-chemically modified polymer surfaces and the effect of cucurbit[6]uril on dye emission.

Polypropylene supports were functionalized by plasma-deposition of polymeric allylamine layers. The surface amino groups generated were wet-chemically reacted with xanthene dyes resulting in fluorescent polymer films. The effect of polymer-attachment of the dyes on their emission features was studied fluorometrically and different methods were tested to improve the fluorescence properties of the films.

Fluorescence measurements on functionalized polymer surfaces--problems and troubleshooting.

Plasma-chemically tailor-made polymer surfaces are of ever-increasing importance to control surface properties in material science, as well as for (bio)analytical and biomedical applications. For the characterization of such systems, sensitive fluorescence techniques are attractive tools. To underline the potential and drawbacks of these strategies, this article addresses different problems that complicate fluorometric analysis.

Monitoring of amino functionalities on plasma-chemically modified polypropylene supports with a chromogenic and fluorogenic pyrylium reporter.

A straightforward strategy toward the sensitive fluorometric detection of primary amino groups on plasma-chemically modified polypropylene supports is presented, exploiting the transformation of the sterically nonhindered pyrylium dye Py-1 into its pyridinium counterpart. The reaction-induced blue-shifted absorption and emission bands and an increased fluorescence quantum yield provide the basis for the spectroscopic distinction between covalently bound and free, that is, nonspecifically adsorbed label molecules. With this label, for the first time, plasma-chemically introduced amino functionalities could be monitored on the surface of a polymer film employing fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy.