Convenient synthesis of fluorinated latexes and core-shell structures by miniemulsion polymerization

Fluorinated latexes in the size range of 100-250 nm are made by the polymerization of miniemulsions of fluoroalkyl acrylates as fluorinated monomers under employment of rather low doses of protonated surfactants. In addition, it is shown that miniemulsifaction of mixed monomer species allows efficient copolymerization reactions to be performed with standard hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers in a joint heterophase situation, resulting either in core-shell latexes or in statistical copolymers. Contrary to the pure fluorinated polymers, those copolymers dissolve in organic solvents but still show the profitable interface properties of the fluorinated species.