Visible-Light-Enabled Organocatalyzed Controlled Alternating Terpolymerization of Perfluorinated Vinyl Ethers

Polymerizations of perfluorinated vinyl ethers (PFVEs) provide an important category of fluoropolymers that have received considerable interests in applications. In this work, we report the development of an organocatalyzed controlled radical alternating terpolymerization of PFVEs and vinyl ethers (VEs) under visible-light irradiation. This method not only enables the synthesis of a broad scope of fluorinated terpolymers of low dispersities and high chain-end fidelity, facilitating tuning the chemical compositions by rationally choosing the type and/or ratio of comonomers, but also allows temporal control of chain-growth, as well as the preparation of a variety of novel fluorinated block copolymers. To showcase the versatility of this method, fluorinated alternating terpolymers have been synthesized and customized to simultaneously display a variety of desirable properties for solid polymer electrolyte design, creating new opportunities in high-performance energy storage devices.

Automated summary

An organocatalyzed controlled radical alternating terpolymerization of PFVEs and VEs under visible-light irradiation was developed, allowing the synthesis of a broad scope of fluorinated terpolymers with low dispersities and high chain-end fidelity. This method facilitates tuning the chemical compositions by rationally choosing the type and ratio of comonomers, and also enables temporal control of chain-growth and the preparation of novel fluorinated block copolymers. The versatility of this method was showcased by synthesizing fluorinated alternating terpolymers customized to display a variety of desirable properties for solid polymer electrolyte design, leading to new opportunities in high-performance energy storage devices.