Novel hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon polymerizable surfactants: Synthesis, characterization and mixing behavior

A series of novel polymerizable hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon cationic surfactants (N-alkoxycarboxymethyl-N-[2-(N'-alkylacrylamido)ethyl]-N,N-dimethylammonium bromide) potentially useful for the formation of multicompartment polymeric micelles were prepared. Micellization and surface active properties of these surfactants and of their mixtures were determined by electrical conductivity and surface tension measurements. The interaction between the fluorocarbon and the hydrocarbon surfactants in the aqueous micellar state can be described by the regular solution theory with an interaction parameter beta = 1.25 indicating the formation of one type of mixed micelles. The solubilization capacity of the pure and of the mixed surfactant systems for pyrene and for a new fluorocarbon azo dye were studied by UV absorption as a function of the surfactant concentration. It was found that the ability to solubilize these hydrophobic compounds depends strongly on the nature of the micellar core (hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, or mixed), the polarity of the dye, the micellar shape, and the composition of the surfactant mixture.