Relating conformation and photophysics in single MEH-PPV chains

We use a novel fluorescence polarization microscope in combination with molecular dynamics calculations to determine the conformation of individual isolated chains of the conjugated polymer MEH-PPV. We found a narrow distribution of defect cylinder conformations in a poor-solvent matrix and two types of defect coil conformations in a good-solvent matrix. The conformations were related to photophysical properties of MEH-PPV by measuring fluorescence intermittency on the same chains. We obtained direct evidence that the photophysics is determined by the chain conformations and that small changes in the polymer microscopic structure can qualitatively affect the photophysical properties.