The interaction between uranyl ion and polymers soluble in water

The uranyl ion (UO2+), through its spectral, photophysical and photochemical properties, can act as a structural probe in various systems. Its application to the study of water soluble polymers is considered here, and studies on the interaction with poly-(vinyl alcohol), PVA, and metallylsulfonate - vinyl acetate copolymers, MAS-VA, in aqueous solution are reported. In the former case, it is shown that the excited uranyl ion is quenched dynamically by neutral PVA in a process involving hydrogen atom transfer. With the anionic MAS-VA copolymers, quenching of the luminescence of the low concentrations of uranyl ion occurs predominantly via a static mechanism involving the complexation of the uranyl ion by -SO- groups. At higher concentrations, dynamic quenching by aggregates may occur. (author)