Alternating copolymers of N-vinylcarbazole (VCz) with diethyl fumarate
(DEF), maleic anhydride (MAn), and citraconic anhydride (CAn) (a-CzEF
, a-CzMAn, and a-CzCAn, respectively) were synthesized. The fluorescen
ce spectra of a-CzEF and a-CzCAn changed as a function of the monomer
feed ratios although all the copolymers had nearly 50 mol % of VCz con
tent (f(Cz)), indicating the presence of excimer-forming sites in the
polymer chain. The copolymer obtained at f(Cz) = 0.5 in the monomer fe
ed was found to be the most desirable ''alternating'' copolymer with t
he highest fluorescence quantum yield. Comparison of the spectral feat
ures for a-CzMAn and a-CzCAn showed that hindered groups on comonomers
effectively restricted the excimeric interaction in copolymers. A sma
ll number of anthryl energy traps were covalently incorporated into a-
CzEF and a random copolymer of VCz and methyl methacrylate with f(Cz)
= 0.5 (r-CzMMA(50)) by terpolymerization with 9-anthrylmethyl methacry
late. Energy transfer to anthracene was more favorable in a-CzEF than
in r-CzMMA(50). This result strongly suggests that longer-range energy
transfer assisted by efficient energy migration is occurring in the a
lternating copolymer, which may be due in part to the large Forster ra
dius for carbazole-carbazole for self-transfer (approximately 2.1 nm).