Electronic Energy Transport in Vinyl Aromatic Polymers

Ultrafast electronic energy transport phenomena occurring in macromolecules following absorption of light were investigated using picosecond laser-based time-resolved fluorescence instrumentation and computer-aided data analysis procedures. Analysis of the fluorescence data for copolymers of 2-naphthylmethacrylate (2NMA) and 2-(2’-hydroxy-4’-methacryloxyphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole (BDHM), indicate that the dominant energy transport mechanism is a one-step Forster-type process from both monomer and excimer sites to the BDHM trap sites in the polymer chain. The trapping of excitation energy by the highly photostable BDHM moieties results in enhanced photostability of the copolymers compared to poly(2-naphthyl methacrylate) (P2NMA).