Rust shines in new light

The structure and optical properties of -conjugated polymers can be widely tuned though the choice of appropriate monomers for their synthesis. This versatility and easy processability make these polymers useful base materials for thin-film optoelectronic devices. However, preparation routes for conjugated polymer nanoparticles, which could be used in photonics or as biocompatible alternatives to inorganic nanoparticles for biomedical applications, have generally suffered from a large distribution of particle sizes, commonly referred to as polydispersity. JorisSprakel and co-workers now report a synthesis schemefor monodisperse nanoparticles made froma range of conjugated polymers. They have adapted the SuzukiMiyaura cross-coupling reaction one of the most important routes for the synthesis of such compounds toa dispersion polymerization process that enables the preparation of particles with well-defined sizes, tunable fluorescence wavelengths and controllable shape. The researchers demonstrate their self-assembly into a photonic crystal and show that the particles can be functionalized with carboxylic acid groups that allow for further coupling reactions for bioimaging. C