A 2,6-bis(2-benzimidazolyl)
pyridine-linked silsesquioxane-based
semi-branched polymer was synthesized, and its photophysical and metal-sensing
properties have been investigated. The polymer is thermally stable
up to 285 °C and emits blue in both solid and solution state.
The emission of the polymer is sensitive to pH and is gradually decreased
and quenched upon protonation of the linkers. The initial emission
color is recoverable upon deprotonation with triethylamine. The polymer
also shows unique spectroscopic properties in both absorption and
emission upon long-term UV irradiation, with red-shifted absorption
and emission not present in a simple blended system of phenylsilsesquioxane
and linker, suggesting that a long-lived energy transfer or charge
separated state is present. In addition, the polymer acts as a fluorescence
shift sensor for Zn(II) ions, with red shifts observed from 464 to
528 nm, and reversible binding by the introduction of a competitive
ligand such as tetrahydrofuran. The ion sensing mechanism can differentiate
Zn(II) from Cd(II) by fluorescence color shifts, which is unique because
they are in the same group of the periodic table and possess similar
chemical properties. Finally, the polymer system embedded in a paper
strip acts as a fluorescent chemosensor for Zn(II) ions in solution,
showing its potential as a solid phase ion extractor.