Perfluorocyclohexenyl aryl ether polymers via polycondensation of decafluorocyclohexene with bisphenols

ABSTRACT A novel class of semifluorinated perfluorocyclohexenyl (PFCH) aryl ether homo/copolymers was successfully synthesized with high yield through the step‐growth polymerization of commercially available bisphenols and decafluorocyclohexene in the presence of a triethylamine base. The synthesized polymers exhibit variable thermal properties depending on the functional spacer group (R). PFCH aryl ether copolymers with random and alternating architectures were also prepared from versatile bis‐perfluorocyclohexenyl aryl ether monomers. The PFCH polymers show high thermal stabilities with a 5% decomposition temperature ranging from 359 to 444 °C in air and nitrogen atmosphere. These semifluorinated PFCH aromatic ether polymers contain intact enchained PFCH olefin moieties, making further reactions such as crosslinking and application specific functionalization possible. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 232–238 A unique class of semifluorinated perfluorocyclohexenyl (PFCH) aryl ether homopolymers and their copolymers with random and alternating architectures is synthesized via step‐growth polycondensation reaction of commercially available bisphenols and decafluorocyclohexene in the presence of a triethylamine. The polymers exhibit tunable thermal properties depending on the functional spacer group (R). These semifluorinated PFCH aromatic ether polymers keep the enchained PFCH olefin moieties intact for further reactions such as crosslinking and application‐specific functionalization.