Coloring–decoloring behavior of amphiphilic fluoroalkyl end-capped N-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutyl)acrylamide – Acryloylmorpholine cooligomer/fluorescein nanocomposites in protic and aprotic solvents

Amphiphilic fluoroalkyl end-capped N-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutyl)acrylamide–acryloylmorpholine cooligomer/fluorescein nanocomposites afforded brilliant yellow-colored solutions in not only protic solvents such as methanol and ethanol but also protic-like solvents such as dichloromethane and 1,2-dichloroethane, respectively. However, the corresponding non-fluorinated cooligomer/fluorescein composites and parent fluorescein gave the colorless solutions under similar conditions. On the other hand, unexpectedly, such brilliant yellow-colored solutions provided by these fluorinated nanocomposites completely disappeared in aprotic solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and tetrahydrofuran. Thus, these fluorinated fluorescein nanocomposites can exhibit a coloring–decoloring behavior through solvatochromic response.

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► Amphiphilic fluoroalkyl end-capped cooligomer/fluorescein nanocomposites.
► Fluorinated fluorescein nanocomposites can afford brilliant yellow-colored solutions in protic solvents.
► Fluorinated fluorescein nanocomposites can afford colorless solutions in aprotic solvents.
► A coloring–decoloring behavior was observed through a solvatochromic response.