This research deals with the synthesis of hemicyanine-based fluorescent polymeric dyes and their use in acrylic dyeing. Three new hemicyanine dyes were synthesized by the Knoevenagel reaction, and grafted to carboxymethylchitosan (O-CMC) to form polymeric dyes. The resulting dyes were characterized using 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, indicating that these polymeric dyes were successfully synthesized. The practical utility of these polymeric dyes was demonstrated by their successful application on acrylic fabrics to give highly fluorescent colors. The fluorescence, color characteristics, and photostability of these dyed fabrics were tested using a fluorescence spectrometer, a spectrophotometer, and a lightfastness tester. Results showed that acrylic fabrics dyed with these polymeric dyes were fluorescent and had better photostability than the parent dyes.
Four hemicyanine dyes as chemosensors for cyanide anions were synthesized easily. Their photophysical properties and recognition properties for cyanide anions were investigated. The results indicate that all the dyes can recognize cyanide anions with obvious color, absorption and fluorescence change. The recognition mechanism analysis basing on in situ 1 H NMR and Job plot data indicates that to the compounds with hydroxyl group , the recognition mechanism is intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction. However, to the compounds without hydroxyl group, cyanide anion is bonded to carbon–carbon double bond in conjugated bridge and induces N + CH 3 to neutral NCH 3 . Fluorescence of the compounds is almost quenched upon the addition of cyanide anions.