¹H and ¹⁹F NMR Toolbox for Examining Interactions between Fluorinated Compounds and Polystyrene Nanoparticles

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) are both emerging environmental pollutants, yet the interactions between the two are rarely studied on a fundamental level. Here we use a suite of NMR techniques to examine binding between polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNP) and fluorinated compounds or nonfluorinated analogues, with the aim of understanding how fluorination influences the strength of binding. In addition, we have compared the different NMR techniques in terms of reproducibility and ease of use. We find that fluorination does not have a significant effect on binding for aromatic compounds or aliphatic alcohols. However, we have established a toolbox of both quantitative and qualitative NMR techniques that can be used to examine binding between a large receptor and fluorinated compounds either with or without NMR-observable hydrogen atoms.