Synthesis of well-defined α-fluorinated alkyl ester, ω-carboxyltelechelic polystyrenes and fabrication of their hydrophobic highly ordered porous films and microspheres

Abstract

Well-defined α-fluorinated alkyl ester, ω-carboxyl telechelic polystyrenes (PS) were synthesized via combining aminolysis of RAFT-polystyrene and thiol–ene “click” reaction simultaneously. The perfluoroalkyl end groups were –CF₃, –(CF₂)₂–CF₃ and –(CF₂)₇–CF₃, respectively. Highly ordered porous films of such telechelic PS with an average pore size about 1.00 μm were fabricated via a static breath-figure process. With the content of fluorine on the surface of porous films increasing from 1.04 wt%, to 1.64 wt% and 2.97 wt%, respectively, the water contact angle (WCA) of such porous films increased from 112° to 116° and 121° ± 0.4°, respectively, indicating their hydrophobicity. Interestingly, microspheres with average diameters of ca. 0.30–0.65 μm can be fabricated via a static BF process using methanol instead of water as the vapor atmosphere in the glass vessel.