(742e) Fluorinated Surfactant Micelles: Structure and Interactions in Aqueous Solutions

Fluorinated surfactants find niche applications because of their high chemical and thermal stability, their compatibility with fluoropolymers, their immiscibility with both water and hydrocarbons, and their unique ability to wet surfaces and render them non-stick (Teflon-like). However, the widely used perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) surfactants are extremely resistant to degradation in the environment, bioaccumulate, and have long half-lives in humans. In the context of sequestering fluorinated surfactants from the aquatic environment, we research aqueous solution properties of fluorinated surfactants, with a focus on how such surfactants interact with (bind to) other molecules or particles/surfaces. We report here on PFOA micelle structure and interactions in aqueous solutions, probed with small-angle neutron scattering and atomistic simulations.