Synthesis of ultrastable eu‐complex/polystyrene composite luminescent nanoparticles using a solvent swelling method

Abstract Nanoparticles composed of Eu‐complex, Eu(TTA)₃Phen, and polystyrene (PS) were successfully synthesized through an improved solvent swelling method. The unstable Eu(TTA)₃Phen could be protected by the hydrophobic shell of PS nanoparticles. This method is very appropriate to embed unstable luminescent molecules into polymer nanoparticles. The as‐synthesized luminescent PS nanoparticles have been turned out to be water‐dispersible, strong red luminescent, ultrastable in strong acid and alkali, and luminescence lifetime enhanced. A cell imaging assay was further carried out and strong luminescent signal could be obtained, which showed that the as‐synthesized luminescent Eu‐complex/PS nanoparticles are a good candidate to be used as luminescent nanoparticles in tumor cell detection. This solvent swelling method is simple, easy to scale‐up, and has great potential in the preparation of other luminescent nanoparticles. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers