Fluorescent probes for detection of amphiphilic polymer hydrophobic microdomains: A comparative study between pyrene and molecular rotors

 Cationic amphiphilic polymers (e.g. polyvinylpyridinium bromides and polyvinylimidazo-lium bromides) adopt a compact coiled form in aqueous solutions. In the case of former polymers, the resulting hydrophobic microdomains are evidenced only by fluorescence spectroscopy if a molecular rotor (DMAC) is used as a fluorescent probe, while the behaviour of the latter can be studied in aqueous solution by using both types of fluorescent probes, i.e., pyrene and the molecular rotor. The purpose of the present investigation deals with a comparative study between the magnitude of the local viscosity and the polarity of the hydrophobic microdomains generated by poly(3-hexadecyl-1-vinylimidazolium bromide) in an aqueous medium using pyrene and DMAC as fluorescent probes. Moreover, the results are compared with the data obtained with micelles of conventional surfactants such as the homopolymer repetitive unit model and CTAB. Received: 3 June 1996 Accepted: 29 September 1996