Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Dual Responsive Nanoaggregates of Fluoro- and Amino-Containing Copolymer

We report herein a novel approach for preparing CO₂- and O₂-responsive polymer nanoaggregates. The polymer, synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), has one hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block, and the other hydrophobic block composed of 88 randomly distributed units of CO₂-responsive N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEA) and 43 units of O₂-responsive 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (FMA). The amphiphilic copolymer self-assembled into vesicular nanoaggregates in water. With O₂ bubbling, the vesicles expanded eight times in volume. With CO₂ bubbling, the vesicular morphology collapsed and transformed into a small spherical micelle. The dual gas-responsivity significantly expanded the scope in designing stimuli-responsive materials and processes.