Characterization of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon microdomains formed in aqueous solution of associative polymers: A molecular probe technique

Fluorocarbon associative polymers of the polysoap type were studied using two fluorescent probes, 1-octanoylpyrene (OcPyH) and 1-perfluorooctanoylpyrene (OcPyF). In aqueous solution the polymers formed hydrophobic domains composed of hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon or both types of polymeric side chains, which could solubilize the probes. This resulted in the appearance of new fluorescence emission bands and changes in the fluorescence polarization of the probes. The differences in the solubilization properties of the polymers are discussed.