Supramolecular photophysics of self-assembled block copolymers containing luminescent conjugated polymers

Luminescent micellar aggregates and spherical vesicles self-assembled from polyquinoline-polystyrene diblock and polyquinoline-polystyrene-polyquinoline triblock copolymers were investigated by photoluminescence excitation and emission spectroscopies and fluorescence microscopy. In both the diblock micelles and triblock vesicles, new absorption and emission features characteristic of the supramolecular morphology in solution and the solid state were observed. J-like aggregation of the conjugated polymer blocks within the self-organized assemblies explain the observed supramolecular photophysics. The large red shift between aggregate luminescence in the solid state compared to solution is attributed to excimer emission. Self-assembling block copolymers containing conjugated polymer blocks thus constitute a promising route to functional supramolecular materials with tailorable optoelectronic and photonic properties.