Diversity of Synthetic Approaches to Functionalized Perfluoropolyalkylether Polymers

Perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPAEs) are a class of fluorinated polymers having -OCF2-, -OCF2CF2-, and -OCF2CF(CF3)- as common chain units. The ether linkages distinguish them from other famous fluorinated polymers such as poly(tetrafluoroethylene). Their higher mobility highlighted by below zero glass transition temperatures permit them to be noncrystalline, which makes them easy to use for many applications. They possess interesting tribological properties, combined with an excellent thermal and chemical stability, make them very useful as lubricants. However, after chemical modifications, they also demonstrated to be very useful in numerous applications as surfactants, electrolytes, high performance coatings, vitrimers, or microfluidic devices, to give a few examples. This Perspective aims to summarize all the chemical modifications reported on these PFPAEs to provide a new insight into their potential utility in emerging fields. Indeed, the end group can modulate the properties of PFPAE-based materials such as lubricity, superhydrophobicity, biofouling, antibacterial activity, amphiphilicity, and the ability to react further with comonomers under photochemical and thermal processes. It can also modulate their intrinsic properties such as viscosity and solubility in common organic solvents. The chemical modifications are sorted in five main parts: the condensation reactions, the nucleophilic reactions, the click chemistry reactions, the radical reactions, and finally reactions going through other mechanisms or requiring a multistep process. They can be employed as such or for further polymerization processes depending on the targeted application. Examples of applications are thoroughly described to demonstrate their current usefulness and to help provide direction for their future use.

Automated summary

Perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPAEs) have -OCF2-, -OCF2CF2-, and -OCF2CF(CF3)- as common chain units, distinguishing them from other fluorinated polymers. Their high mobility and noncrystalline nature, combined with excellent thermal and chemical stability, make them useful as lubricants and in various other applications after chemical modifications. These modifications can modulate their properties and allow them to be used in applications such as surfactants and high performance coatings.