Preparation and fluorescent properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) bearing coumarin

A novel water-soluble fluorescent material was prepared via ring-opening reaction between 4-methyl-7-(2,3-expoxypropoxy) coumarin (MEC) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The fluorescent behaviors of this material (PVA-MEC) in solution, solid and film were studied in detail. The results showed that the fluorescence of PVA-MEC arose from isolated dye molecules and had a good film forming ability. In addition, the effects of acid/base environments on PVA-MEC were studied and the results showed that it was less affected by environment than 7-HMC. Moreover, relative fluorescence intensity of PVA-MEC had an excellent linear response in the temperature range of 0-60 degrees C. These observations suggest that PVA-MEC is an excellent fluorescent macromolecular material with a convenient method of preparation and had a good water-soluble ability. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.