Micellization of Zonyl FSN-100 fluorosurfactant in aqueous solutions

• Critical micelle concentration of FSN-100 by surface tension measurement is 0.05 mmol L−1.
• FSN-100 forms core–shell spherical micelles with the radius of 3 nm.
• FSN-100 micelles solubilize the fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene.

We report on micellization of nonionic fluorosurfactant Zonyl FSN-100 in aqueous solutions studied by means of NMR spectroscopy, light and small-angle X-ray scattering, surface tension measurements, isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results allow for determination of basic parameters of Zonyl FSN-100 association like critical micellar concentration, size and association number of Zonyl FSN-100 micelles which have a core–shell structure with the core of fluorocarbon chains and the shell of oligo(ethylene oxide) chains. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy studies using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) as a fluorescent probe indicate that DPH can be solubilized in the micelles despite the general assumption about the immiscibility of hydrocarbon compounds with the fluorocarbon core of the micelles.

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