New fluorescent thiophenyl group containing oxazol-5-one fluorophores of 3a (4-(3-thiophenylmethylene)-2-phenyloxazol-5-one), 3b (4-(3-thiophenylmethylene)-2-(4-tolyl)oxazol-5-one) and 3c (4-(3-thiophenylmethylene)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)oxazol-5-one) were synthesized and characterized. The newly synthesized oxazol-5-ones absorption and fluorescence characteristics were studied in some solvents of varying polarities. The heterocyclic chromophores were fluorescent, with two of them, 3a and 3b, emitting blue light, whilst the other one, 3c, emitting green light. The emission maxima of the derivatives varied between 415 and 572 nm according as the extent of conjugation and solvent polarity. As solvent polarity increased, 3c derivatives emission spectra displayed a large bathochromic shift, which revealed the considerable change of the dipole moment of the fluorescent structure because of an intramolecular charge transfer interaction. Furthermore, oxazolones polymerization ability via the thiophenyl group linked to the oxazol-5-one heterocycle showed that copolymerization of 3a was achieved, but homopolymerization was not observed.
Keywords: Copolymer; Fluorescence; Homopolymer; Oxazol-5-one; Thiophenes.