Synthesis and Photostability of Some New 1,8-Naphthalimide Derivatives as Colour Monomers for Fluorescent Polymers

Two new polymerizable 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophores containing residue of an amino acid in the fourth position of the naphthalimide ring have been synthesized. Their copolymers with methyl methacrylate were obtained. The colour coordinates of the prepared polymer have been determined. The photostability of the dyes and copolymers in dimethylformamide have been investigated and an increase in the photostability of dyes included in polymer with about 25-30 % was observed. The photostability of the polymer films obtained with copolymers and polymethyl methacrylate dyed “in mass” with the synthesized dyes have been determined by a change of colour coordinates and reflectance during the radiation with UV light. As a result of this investigation, it can be concluded that the dyes have good photostability and can be applied both as fluorescent dyes for dyeing of polymer materials “in mass” and as colour fluorescent monomers for obtaining of fluorescent polymers.