Phenylene(vinylene) based fluorescent polymer for selective and sensitive detection of nitro‐explosive picric acid

We report the synthesis of phenylene(vinylene) based blue light emitting polymer by atom transfer radical polymerization with very good yield. Their photophysical properties were studied systematically with increasing polarities of solvent and sensing of nitro aromatics in solution and in vapor phase. The sensory properties of the polymer were studied toward various nitroaromatic compounds like nitrobenzene (NB), nitrotoluene (NT), dinitrobenzene (DNB), dinitrotoluene (DNT), nitro benzoic acid (NBA), 3-nitro benzaldehyde (3-NBA), trinitrotoluene (TNT), 4-nitrophenol (NP), and picric acid (PA) in solution state. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016