In this study, we designed and synthesized a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based donor–acceptor conjugated polymer that exhibits stable dispersibility in various polar solvents and distinctive optical responses depending on the surrounding solvent envi...
In this study, we designed and synthesized a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based donor–acceptor conjugated polymer that exhibits stable dispersibility in various polar solvents and distinctive optical responses depending on the surrounding solvent environment. The polymer was engineered with glycol-containing side chains to enhance solubility and processability in polar media, and its successful polymerization was confirmed through conjugation-induced red-shift in UV–vis absorption.
Systematic solvent–response experiments revealed that the polymer shows markedly different photodegradation behaviors under visible-light irradiation. While ACN, PC, and MeOH displayed negligible absorbance changes, DMF, NMP, and DMSO induced a gradual decrease in UV–vis absorbance with clear differences in slope values. Moreover, by introducing controlled amounts of these solvents into ACN, we quantitatively determined the onset concentration and sensitivity for each solvent, demonstrating the polymer’s ability to detect subtle changes in solvent composition.
However, UV–vis analysis alone was insufficient to differentiate solvents with similar behaviors, such as NMP and DMSO. To address this limitation, photoluminescence (PL) measurements were employed as an additional indicator, revealing that NMP uniquely exhibits time-dependent PL enhancement. This dual-indicator strategy—combining UV–vis decay and PL evolution—enables reliable discrimination among polar solvents and highlights the potential of DPP-based polymers as optical solvent-sensing materials.