Chinese researchers prepared a waterborne polyurethane–acrylic hybrid polymeric dye, composed of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer as cores and anchoring dye monomers (6-amino-2-cyclohexyl-benz[de]isoquinone-1,3-dione) to polyurethane chains as shells by soap-free emulsion polymerization method.
This study revealed that enhanced fluorescence intensity of the hybrid polymeric dye was mainly attributed to the hindered formation of exciplexes among dye monomers and an augmented light absorption area. It was found that the fluorescence intensity of the hybrid polymeric dye was increased with increasing temperature and the trend first increased and then decreased with increase in concentration. Furthermore, the fluorescence of the hybrid polymeric dye emulsions was found to be very stable and not sensitive to the fluorescence quencher.
