C=N based PAMAM polymer dots: fluorescent property and Cu2+ sensing application

Abstract A green emiting polymer dots (PDs) were obtained via a hydrothermal method from 1.0 G PAMAM-NH2 and DKG (oxidated AA), with a quantum yield of 18.7%. The intrinsic strong fluorescence originates from imines and the special structure of PAMAM-DKG, endowsing the obtained PAMAM-DKG PDs with pH- and temperature-responsive properties, which can provide a new perspective for further develop this approach in biology and pharmaceuticals with compounds containing unsaturated structure. The fluorescence of PAMAM-DKG PDs were enhanced by C = N bond formation with a crosslinking process, and the fluorescence tansformed into weak and blue when destruction of C = N bond occurred. In addition, PAMAM-DKG PDs is a potential fluorescence probe for Cu2+ detection in aqueous media.