Tb(III)‐modified properties of thermosensitive core–shell microspheres

Abstract

Abstract A novel functional complex with the thermosensitive, magnetic, and fluorescent properties of poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide)‐grafted poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide‐ co ‐styrene) (PNNS) microspheres and Tb(III), PNNS–Tb(III), has been synthesized and characterized with different techniques. When PNNS with a core–shell structure interacts with Tb(III), Tb(III) mainly bonds to oxygen of the carbonyl groups of PNNS, forming the novel PNNS–Tb(III) complex. PNNS shows antiferromagnetic behavior, whereas the PNNS–Tb(III) complex exhibits paramagnetic behavior. The saturation magnetization is approximately 50 times higher than that of PNNS. The fluorescence intensity of the PNNS–Tb(III)complex at 545 nm is enhanced as much as 223 times in comparison with that of pure Tb(III). The novel magnetic and fluorescent properties of the PNNS–Tb(III) complex may be useful in biomedicine and fluorescence systems. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3121–3127, 2006