Synthetic access to an elusive high-temperature perfluoroisopropenyl ether prepolymer for radical copolymerization

Abstract

A perfluoroisopropenyl ether terminated oligo(hexafluoropropylene oxide), a perfluoropolyalkyl ether macromonomer for radical copolymerization, has been prepared. The synthesis was achieved through a carefully controlled defluorination of a highly unstable lithium perfluorocarbanion intermediate. Several undesired pathways were also observed by GC/MS and we report conditions for generating the desired product in 82% yield.