Supercritical carbon dioxide swelling of fluorinated and hydrocarbon surfactant templates in mesoporous silica thin films

► CO2 penetration in surfactant mesophase evaluated from CO2 based pore expansion of templated film. ► The structure of the fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon surfactant tail determines the pore expansion. ► Preferential CO2 solvation in fluorocarbon segments of the surfactant template is demonstrated. ► Dip-coating of thin films demonstrated on low energy fluorinated-modified substrate.