Luminescent polymer latex particles prepared by oxidative polymerization in emulsion polymerization

It was demonstrated that core-shell poly(styrene/thiophene) latex particles were successfully prepared by oxidative polymerization during emulsifierfree emulsion polymerization. This method provided a new fabrication route of core-shell type luminescent polymer particles with a thin shell layer. The core/shell structure of the resulting latex particles was proved by SEM analysis. It supported a strong evidence that each composition was isolated in independent domains, and which was corroborated by the TCA analysis. The resulting latex particles showed that luminescence efficiency in the solid state was better than that in the emulsion state due to the core-shell morphology with a thin shell structure. This new strategy is universal for the synthesis of many other materials or composite particles with controlled morphology. Such core-shell morphology controlled conjugated polymer composite particles may have potential practical applications in various electrical and electro-optical devices, especially in polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs).