Fluorosurfactants are an integral part of many industrial processes due to their unparalleled surface activity and high water and oil repellency and can be found in a wide range of consumer products. However, their lack of biodegradability causes great environmental concern and has led to increased regulatory action in recent years. In the search for alternatives, perfluoropropyl vinyl ether was recently identified as a promising building block with an improved ecological profile regarding degradation and accumulation. Here, we utilized short-chain perfluoropropyl vinyl ether (PPVE) or perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (PMVE) as precursors to construct polyether-based fluorosurfactants through copolymerization with hydrophilic comonomers. Surfactant properties and overall fluorine content per molecule could be easily adjusted by changing the comonomer feed. The surface activity was investigated in aqueous solution via tensiometry and was found to be competitive with both legacy PFAS such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and current state-of-the-art small molecule fluorosurfactants (γstat ≥ 20.35 mN m–1). These findings illustrate the potential of amphiphilic copolymers as a modular, straightforward, and versatile platform for next-generation fluorosurfactants as an alternative to long-chain legacy PFAS.

Ureteral stents are essential for postoperative management of ureterostenosis but often cause complications due to their nondegradable nature and propensity for encrustation. This study develops a biodegradable composite stent integrating a braided polycaprolactone (PCL)/polylactide (PLA) stent with an electrospinning degradable polyurethane (DPU) membrane loaded with potassium sodium hydrogen citrate (PSHC). Thermal treatment of the PCL/PLA stent induces melt-bonding, forming a film that enhances the radial compressive resistance. Subsequent electrospinning of DPU further improves the compressive resistance and hydrophilicity. The resulting DPU fibrous membrane composite braided ureteral stent (PFBUS) exhibits superior urinary drainage with a 30-fold higher flow rate at 50% compression versus commercial PU stents. Incorporation of PSHC conferred anti-encrustation properties through localized drug release. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo evaluations confirmed the biocompatibility. This multifunctional design simultaneously addresses mechanical integrity, drainage optimization, and sustained anti-encrustation within a fully biodegradable platform, eliminating secondary removal surgery and advancing clinical ureteral stent applications.