The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Fluorescent polymers have attracted attention due to their applications in bioimaging, sensing, and optoelectronics. Quantum dots and small-molecule dyes are commonly used, but they often suffer from cytotoxicity, low photostability, and limited fluorescence intensity. To address these issues, we synthesized a red-emitting conjugated polymer with an extended π-conjugated backbone and applied it to the fabrication of semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) with enhanced optical stability. The polymer exhibited absorption and emission peaks at 506 nm and 624 nm, respectively. Pdots were prepared via nanoprecipitation, forming uniform and colloidally stable nanoparticles. These Pdots showed strong fluorescence, high photostability, and responsiveness to environmental changes. Overall, the synthesized polymer-based Pdots demonstrate practical potential in fluorescence-based technologies such as imaging, sensing, and optoelectronics.