Synthesis of Borneol‐Polymers as Fluorescent Sensors for Pollutant Detection

ABSTRACT In this work, a borneol‐derived monomer was employed to synthesize two novel copolymers, poly(vinyl acetate‐ co ‐bornyl methacrylate) (CopBM‐1) and poly(p‐acryloyloxybenzaldehyde‐ co ‐bornyl methacrylate) (CopBM‐2), via radical copolymerization. Both copolymers demonstrated aggregation‐induced emission in DMF at concentrations exceeding 0.04 wt.%. These bornyl‐based copolymer fluorescent sensors effectively discriminate between nitroaromatics, nitrophenol isomers, and polynitrophenols, exhibiting a selective response to ─NO 2 groups positioned in the para position relative to the ─OH. The fluorescence sensing mechanism is primarily attributed to the disruption of polymer aggregates upon interaction with 4‐nitrophenols. Importantly, the copolymer sensors demonstrate excellent reusability, maintaining detection performance over five consecutive cycles. Tests conducted on real water samples further support their potential for practical application in environmental monitoring of 4‐nitrophenol‐based contaminants.