Silicon-linked polyethylene glycol-polyethylene terephthalate (PEG-PET) nanostructures loaded with Eu3+-complexes for hybrid luminescent PET materials

In this work, innovative hybrid poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) materials with strong luminescence were successfully synthesized by doping PET with silicon-linked poly(ethylene glycol)-PET copolymer nanostructures either with (Si-PEG-PET) or with (ETP@Si-PEG-PET) luminescent Eu3+-complexes. The chemical properties and nanostructures of the hybrid materials were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. PET composites ranging from 0.25 to 4 wt% silicon additive were prepared by the melt blending method. The crystal properties, mechanical properties, and fluorescence properties of the composites were systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffractometry, tensile testing, and fluorescence spectrometry. When the addition of Si-PEG-PET or ETP@Si-PEG-PET was 0.75 wt%, the relative crystallinity and maximum tensile strength increase substantially. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of hybrid luminescent PET materials is the strongest at 0.75 wt% loading. ETP@Si-PEG-PET not only endows PET polyester with stronger fluorescence properties and mechanical properties but also acts as an effective nucleation additive for PET.

Automated summary

In this study, innovative PET materials with strong luminescence were successfully synthesized by doping PET with silicon-linked poly(ethylene glycol)-PET copolymer nanostructures. The hybrid materials were characterized and the composites were prepared to study their properties. The results showed that the addition of ETP@Si-PEG-PET at 0.75 wt% significantly improved the crystallinity, tensile strength, and fluorescence intensity of PET.