Low Temperature Thermochromic Polydiacetylenes: Design, Colorimetric Properties, and Nanofiber Formation

Owing to their stimulus responsive color changing properties, polydiacetylenes (PDAs) have been extensively investigated as colorimetric sensors. Thermochromic properties of PDAs have been the central focus of a number of investigations that were aimed not only at gaining a fundamental understanding of the physical basis of the color change but also at developing practical applications as temperature sensors. The thermochromic transition temperature of a PDA polymer is closely related to the melting point of the corresponding diacetylene (DA) monomer. In addition, the majority of PDAs described to date undergo a blue-to-red color change above room temperature because PDAs are generally derived from DA monomers that have melting points above room temperature. In the current study, we developed a series of low temperature colorimetric PDAs that were designed based on the reasoning that removal of the sources for strong headgroup interactions would lower the melting points of the corresponding DA monomers. T...