Fluorinated Polyethers
“Since the early fluorine work of the 1950's, research has been conducted on fluorocarbon ethers and polymers derived therefrom. Fluorocarbon ether monomers that result in side chains such as perfluoromethylvinyl ether have been incorporated into polymer backbones, but a useful fluorocarbon ether elastomer, such as [(CF.sub.2).sub.x --O--].sub.n, has not been produced. The oligomers that have been prepared indicate a very high cost product. “
(Griffin, US Patent 4,201,876, 5/6/1980)
“Fluorinated polyethers have been known for many years. For example, such polyethers have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,214,478, 3,242,218, 3,322,826, and by Millauer et al. in Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., Vol. 24(3), 1995, pp. 161-179, all incorporated herein by reference. These polyfluorinated ethers have been used as intermediates in the preparation of useful compositions to be applied to substrates such as hard surface substrates and fibrous substrates to impart oil and/or water repellant properties. For example, perfluorinated polyether compounds as intermediates in such compositions are described in EP 1,038,919, EP 273,449, JP-A-04-146917, JP-A-10-081873, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,536,710, 3,814,741, 3,553,179, and 3,446,761.” (Flynn et al, US Patent 6,923,921, 8/2/2005)
Recent US Patents
10/26/2010
7,820,730
Perfluoropolyether copolymer composition for forming banks
Hahn et al of Samsung Electronics, South Korea used a solution coating process of a perfluoropolyether derivative and a photosensitive polymer to form banks or barriers between thin film transistors during printing or fabricating sets of transistors. (RDC 2/18/2011)
10/5/2010
7,807,067
Textile treatments using fluoropolymer-branched silicone polyethers
Vazquez of Dow Corning developed a fluoropolymer-branched silicone polyether for improving the feel of fabrics without diminishing the the hydrophilicity of the fabric. (RDC 12/20/2010)
Recent Journal Articles
1/28/2011
Well-defined multi-stimuli responsive fluorinated graft poly(ether amine)s (fgPEAs)
(368-375) Polymer 52 #2 (2011)
Wang et al of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China synthesized well-defined multi-stimuli responsive fluorinated graft poly(ether amine)s (fgPEAs) through nucleophilic substitution/ring-opening reaction of commercial poly(propylene glycol) diglycidyl ether and Jeffamine L100, followed by functionalization of hydroxyl groups in backbone by fluorinated alkyl carboxylic acid. fgPEAs are comprised of hydrophilic short poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and hydrophobic fluorinated alkyl chains, which are grafted on poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) backbone alternately to form well-defined structure. In aqueous solution, fgPEA11 and fgPEA12 self-assembled into multi-dispersed micelles, while fgPEA13 formed the uniform-sized micro-micelles with diameter of about 200 nm. These obtained micelles from fgPEAs were multi-responsive to temperature, pH and ionic strength with tunable cloud point (CP). (RDC 1/27/2011)
1/21/2011
Molecular Structure and Surface Properties of Comb-Like Fluorinated Poly(oxyethylene)s Having Different Content of Fluoroalkyl Side Group
(10481–10489) Macromolecules 43 #24 (2010)
Chung et al of the Seoul National University and Korea Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea formed a series of comb-like fluorinated poly(oxyethylene)s having different fluoroalkyl side group contents. When the thin films of the polymers having ≥58 mol % of fluoroalkyl side groups were annealed, surface energy decreased and surface stability against polar liquids improved. This surface property behavior was found to be very well correlated with changes of the paracrystalline structure orientation and scattering unit numbers after the annealing process. (RDC 1/19/2011)
12/3/2010
A novel fluorine-containing graft copolymer bearing perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether-based backbone and poly(methyl methacrylate) side chains
( 11–22) Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry 49 #1 (2011)
Liu et al synthesized a series of novel copolymers consisting of perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether-based backbone and poly(methyl methacrylate) side chains by the combination of thermal [2π + 2π] step-growth cycloaddition polymerization of aryl bistrifluorovinyl ether monomer and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate. These fluorine-containing graft copolymers can dissolve in most organic solvents. This is the first example of the graft copolymer possessing perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether-based backbone. (RDC 12/9/2010)
Gas Transport Properties of Some Fluorine-Containing Polyethers
(11948–11953) Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 49 #23 (2010)
Lara-Estvez et al produced a set of five polyethers containing the highly fluorinated monomer, 1,3-bis(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-pentafluorophenylmethoxy-2-propyl)benzene (12F-FBE), by polycondensation with the monomers: biphenol, bisphenol F, bisphenol A, bisphenol AF, and a biphenol-substituted spirodilactam. Their permeabilities, at 35 °C and 2 atm, to He, H2, O2, N2, CH4, and CO2 exceed those of commercial polysulfone (PSF) membranes. 12F-BISAF, the most permeable polyether with permeability coefficients (in Barrers) of 51 for He, 28 for H2, 3.8 for O2, and 12 for CO2, is also the material with the highest FFV. (RDC, 12/8/2010)