A direct crossed polymerization of triphenylamines and cyclohexanones via CC bond formation: the method and its bioimaging application

The effective polymerization process is very desirable in the field of macromolecule science. In this study, we present a facile synthetic method via aldol addition and condensation (AAC) that leads to the formation of fluorescent linear and branched polymers by cross coupling triphenylamines (TPA) and cyclohexanones (CYC) via CC bond formation. The methodology has the advantage of easy operations, mild reaction conditions, and high yield. Via the analysis of NMR, FT-IR, GPC, PL, UV, SEM, and theoretical calculation, the structure, physical properties, and optical behaviors of both polymers were well-characterized. The understanding of cell transplantation, migration, division, fusion, and lysis is a very challenging task. In this study, the linear polymer (LP) exhibits excellent biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity, which can be readily internalized by living cells in a noninvasive manner. The images of MPC5 cells indicate that LP can be a promising emissive fluorescence probe for bioimaging application.