Poly(methacrylate)s Labeled by Perylene Diimide: Synthesis and Applications in Single Chain Detection Studies

Poly(methacrylate)s labeled with perylene diimide (PDI) derivatives were synthesized. The dye moiety was selectively introduced by appropriate molecular design at (1) the chain end, (2) the center segment of the main chain, and (3) the whole chain contour. The bright fluorescence from PDI allows the direct observation of the single polymer chain with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The three-dimensional orientation of the chain segment and the conformation of the polymer chains were successfully observed at the single molecule level.