Application of fluorescent conjugated polymers in detecting biomacromolecules

Conjugated polymers exhibit excellent electronic and luminescent properties due to their special π-electronic system and conjugated delocalized structure. The fluorescence intensity and emission wavelength of them vary obviously and selectively with different interactions between conjugated polymer and detected compounds. The fluorescence signals deriving from the interactions between conjugated polymer and detected compounds are often amplified because the effective electrons and energy transfer along the main-chain of conjugated polymers, which can respond high-sensitively to analytes and exceed to that of small model compounds. The novel chemical and biological sensors based on conjugated polymers are developed. Many conjugated polymers, including poly(thiophene)s, poly (fluorene-co-phenylene)s, poly(phenylene ethynylene)s and poly(phenylene vinylene)s are used to detect biomacromolecules. In the present paper, the recent progress of conjugated polymers as biosensors is summarized, and the assay of protein, DNA and toxin using fluorescent conjugated polymers is discussed.