Perfluorinated Moieties Increase the Interaction of Amphiphilic Block Copolymers with Lipid Monolayers

The interaction of amphiphilic and triphilic block copolymers with lipid monolayers has been studied. Amphiphilic triblock copolymer PGMA20-PPO34-PGMA20 (GP) is composed of a hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) middle block that is flanked by two hydrophilic poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) (PGMA) side blocks. The attachment of a perfluoro-n-nonyl residue (F9) to either end of GP yields a triphilic polymer with the sequence F9-PGMA20-PPO34-PGMA20-F9 (F-GP). The F9 chains are fluorophilic, i.e., they have a tendency to demix in hydrophilic as well as in lipophilic environments. We investigated (i) the adsorption of both polymers to differently composed lipid monolayers and (ii) the compression behavior of mixed polymer/lipid monolayers. The lipid monolayers are composed of phospholipids with PC or PE headgroups and acyl chains of different length and saturation. Both polymers interact with lipid monolayers by inserting their hydrophobic moieties (PPO, F9). The interaction is markedly enhanced in the presence of F9 chains, which act as membrane anchors. GP inserts into lipid monolayers up to a surface pressure of 30 mN/m, whereas F-GP inserts into monolayers at up to 45 mN/m, suggesting that F-GP also inserts into lipid bilayer membranes. The adsorption of both polymers to lipid monolayers with short acyl chains is favored. Upon compression, a two-step squeeze-out of F-GP occurs, with PPO blocks being released into the aqueous subphase at 28 mN/m and the F9 chains being squeezed out at 48 mN/m. GP is squeezed out in one step at 28 mN/m because of the lack of F9 anchor groups. The liquid expanded (LE) to liquid condensed (LC) phase transition of DPPC and DMPE is maintained in the presence of the polymers, indicating that the polymers can be accommodated in LE- and LC-phase monolayers. These results show how fluorinated moieties can be included in the rational design of membrane-binding polymers.