| Abstract: | A variety of fluoroalkyl end‐capped 3‐N‐(3‐acrylamido)propyl‐N,N‐dimethylammonio]propanesulfonate polymers RF–(APDAPS)n–RF] were prepared by the reactions of fluoroalkanoyl peroxides with the corresponding monomer under very mild conditions. Similarly, fluoroalkyl end‐capped 2‐vinylpyridinio propane sulfonate polymer was obtained by the use of fluoroalkanoyl peroxide. These fluoroalkyl end‐capped sulfobetaine polymers exhibited a good solubility in water; however, these polymers have a poor solubility in other solvents. In particular, RF–(APDAPS)n–RF polymers caused gelation in methanol, although RF–(VPPA)n–RF polymer showed no gelation in methanol. RF–(APDAPS)n–RF polymers were found to form the self‐assembled molecular aggregates with the aggregations of the end‐capped fluoroalkyl segments and the ionic interactions between sulfobetaine segments in aqueous solutions. On the other hand, it was suggested that RF–2‐vinylpyridinio propane sulfonate (VPPS)n–RF polymer is not likely to form the self‐assemblies in aqueous solutions because of the steric hindrance of pyridiniopropyl betaine units in polymer. We also studied the surfactant properties of RF–(APDAPS)n–RF and RF–(VPPS)n–RF polymers compared with those of other fluoroalkyl end‐capped betaine‐type polymers such as 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid polymers and 2‐(3‐acrylamidopropyldimethylammonio) ethanoate polymers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1144–1153, 2004 |
