Hydroxyl-yne click polymerization: a facile strategy toward poly(vinyl amino ether ester)s with color-tunable luminescence

In this research, we developed a facile and environmentally friendly hydroxyl-yne click polymerization for preparing color-tunable unconventional fluorescent polymers; this polymerization could be performed under mild conditions without external catalysts and solvents. A series of poly(vinyl amino ether ester)s (PVAEEs) with high molecular weights (M_w up to 71 700 g mol⁻¹) and well-defined structures were obtained in high yields (up to 99%). Moreover, the obtained PVAEEs exhibited unique aggregation-enhanced, molecular-weight-dependent, and excitation-dependent emission characteristics. Furthermore, PVAEEs with color-tunable luminescence could be easily synthesized by adjusting the carbon chain length of diynes, which was controlled based on the distance between the carbon-carbon double bond and the aliphatic tertiary amine chromophores in the polymer chain. Thus, this study established an efficient and environmentally friendly self-catalyzed hydroxyl-yne click polymerization and provided a novel perspective for the preparation of color-tunable unconventional luminescent materials.