POMA/PMMA blends modified by dye: Spectroscopic and morphological properties

Abstract

Poly(o-methoxyaniline) (POMA), a conductive polymer (CP) well known, was used to prepare blends with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Conducting polymer keeps absorbance strength within the PMMA matrix. POMA/PMMA blends presented absorption bands regarding the conducting polymer with different intensities and the main band red shifting. However, POMA/ PMMA blends showed no photoluminescence (PL) emission. After the hybridization process of the CP with a photoluminescent dye, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, POMA/PMMA blends showed new optical properties. PL spectra revealed an emission in the range of 500-550 nm, indicating interaction between the dye and the conducting polymer. The presence of the dye modified the morphological properties of the POMA/PMMA blends. New features have appeared on the surface of the blends prepared with higher concentration of hybridized CP. Blends with lower concentrations of hybridized CP showed their surfaces with POMA globules being covered by PMMA. This morphology replaced the globules and ''crystals'' on the surface of the blends prepared without the dye.