A study of multicompartment polymeric micelles

A series of novel polymerizable hydrocarbon (H) and fluorocarbon (F) cationic acrylamido surfactants were prepared, characterized and used as comonomers for the synthesis of multicompartment polymeric micelles. The nature of the amido group of the surfactant, either N-monosubstituted (CONRH) or disubstituted (CONRC2H5) is one of the key parameters governing their solution behavior. Thus, micellar growth for pure F-surfactants and miscibility/incompatibility for mixed systems depend on the possibility of H-bond formation. Radical polymerization of acrylamide in aqueous solution in the presence of demixing hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon polymerizable micelles leads to water-soluble polymers containing well segregated hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon domains as confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy.