Synthesis of fluorinated amphiphilic polymers and the morphological dependence on their oxygen binding capacity

Water-soluble materials that can bind, sense, and deliver oxygen are important for several applications. These include catalysis, environmental sensors, smart packaging, agriculture, and medicine. Herein we report the synthesis of two related fluorinated amphiphilic polymers that can self-assemble into small micelles (20-30 nm) or larger vesicles (>300 nm). We found that the oxygen binding capacity of these polymers was dependent on the morphology of their self-assembled structures. At a constant fluorine concentration of 1.5 mg/mL, the oxygen solubility within the vesicle solution was 55% higher than that measured in pure water and 25% higher than the corresponding micelle solution. The increased concentration of oxygen in the vesicle solution indicated a significantly higher level of oxygen binding, which was attributed to additional oxygen trapped within the vesicle’s aqueous interior.