Preparation of water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte and its response characteristics

A water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte, poly[3-(1′-propyloxy-3′-triethylamino)thiophene] (PPOTAT), was prepared in this study. The photophysical and electrochemical properties, as well as the response characteristics of PPOTAT toward temperature and pH, were investigated. The results indicate that PPOTAT is an organic semiconductor, the conjugate performance of PPOTAT at 20 °C is better than that at 50 °C, and π–π interactions between PPOTAT molecules are weak in alkaline conditions, and strong under acidic conditions. The interaction between PPOTAT and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was also investigated using ultraviolet visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that PPOTAT could interact with BSA.