Fluorescent monomers as building blocks for dye labeled polymers: synthesis and application in energy conversion, biolabeling and sensors

This review focuses on side-chain functionalized polymers derived from direct (co) polymerization of fluorescent dyes. This overview about polymerizable dyes includes 1,8-naphthalimides, fluoresceins, rhodamines, coumarins, azo-dyes, oxadiazoles, diverse aromatic dyes as well as selected other dyes that cannot be classified within these groups. The discussed dyes have been functionalized with a polymerizable unit in order to apply straight-forward polymerization procedures. Therefore, the center of attention is set to the optical properties of the polymerizable dyes and the applicable polymerization techniques. Furthermore, the various applications (i.e., in biomedicine and pharmacy, as thermo-responsive materials and energy transfer materials, for dispersion of carbon nanotubes and others) of each polymer are discussed.