PBT‐Based Fluorescent Copolyesters With Wide Gamut Fluorescence and Excellent Mechanical Properties

ABSTRACT Recently, non‐traditional intrinsic luminescence (NTIL) polymers containing ester groups have gained widely attention due to their potential in fluorescence materials application. As a common engineering plastic, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) possesses traditional luminescent center benzene ring and non‐traditional luminescent center carbonyl group on the molecular chain, yet the fluorescence characteristics of PBT have rarely been reported. Herein, a series of PBT‐based copolyesters PBT x A y were prepared by a two‐step melt polycondensation in this work. By introducing flexible aliphatic diacid into PBT chain, PBT x A y copolyesters exhibited unexpected fluorescence properties under the excitation of 350 nm UV lamp. Besides, the fluorescence emission wavelength of PBT x A y copolyesters could be tunable from 439 to 468 nm by changing the chemical structure. Consequently, this study provides a facial and economical approach to prepare PBT‐based fluorescent copolyesters, which exist a great potential as fluorescent engineering plastic in the future.