Development of a fluorescent PMMA-based polymer material through in-situ incorporation of curcuma extract

In the present work, the in situ incorporation of curcumin was carried out in a polymer matrix through bulk polymerization to improve its photostability. It was found that extraction of curcumin from turmeric extract by the precursor monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA) can be performed immediately before the polymerization in order to reduce the degradation of the fluorescent species by the initiator system, although the obtained results also showed that incorporation of the turmeric extract into monomer can retard the polymerization kinetics. Despite that, the fluorescence properties of curcumin were preserved after incorporation in a solid polymeric matrix, which also enhanced the fluorophore photostability, avoiding the rapid degradation of the fluorophore observed when it is dispersed in solvents. Furthermore, it was also observed that addition of acrylic acid (AA) as a comonomer enhanced the photochemical stability of the turmeric extract incorporated into the polymer matrix and promoted the bathochromic effect, when compared to the spectroscopic behavior of the extract obtained from MMA, both in solution and solid state. It was possible to optimize the synthesis condition with help of a standard factorial experimental design, allowing the simultaneous attainment of high monomer conversion and fluorescence properties of the obtained material.