Photoluminescent polymer nanoparticles based on organic compounds are a new category of advanced materials with potential applications in various fields such as chemosensors, optical devices, drug-delivery systems, anticounterfeiting inks and bioimaging. Herein, amide functionalized copolymer nanoparticles with a particle size in the range of 42–139 nm were synthesized by emulsion copolymerization of methylmathacrylate (MMA) and methacrylamide (MAAm) with different concentrations in the range of 0–20 wt%. Afterward, the photoluminescent copolymer nanoparticles (PLCNPs) were prepared by physical modification of amide functionalized copolymer nanoparticles with 5 wt% of oxazolidine derivative (OXOH). Investigation of optical properties include of photoluminescence and UV–vis spectra displayed significant dependency of emission and absorbance bands to the local polarity or the concentration of the amide groups on the surface of the nanoparticles. Study of Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) colorimetric diagrams for PLCNPs samples confirmed the results of photoluminescence and UV–vis spectra, which a logical shift in color of the photoluminescence emission was observed by an increase in the concentration of the amide groups. The PLCNPs samples have remarkable stability (in physical and optical properties) when applied on polar substrates such as polymer sheet and cellulose paper. Therefore, the PLCNPs samples were used for development of eco-friendly water based anticounterfeiting inks, photoluminescence organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), and also the photodetection of scratches in a fast and facile manner. The printed security tags and hand-written phrases on cellulosic papers have orange fluorescent emission with maximum intensity because nanoscale size of particles, which reduced the light scattering and increased the accessible concentration of OXOH for light absorption. A coating of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/PLCNPs solution onto a blue LED (365 nm) was led to a change in the color of emission from blue to purple, because of the excitation of OXOH molecules at 365 nm with the subsequent emission of purple light. The photodetection of created scratch on polycarbonate sheet was carried out by spray of PLCNPs solution on sheet and then illumination with UV irradiation (365 nm). Developed water based PLCNPs samples have interesting optical properties, high stability on different surfaces and nanoscale particle size which are applicable in multiple applications such as eco-friendly photoluminescent inks for anticounterfeiting technologies, photoluminescence OLEDs, and also optical detector for monitoring of scratches on different substrates.

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