Well-Defined Fluorinated Copolymers: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Well-defined fluoropolymers exhibit unique properties such as excellent oil and water repellency, satisfactory thermal stability, a low refractive index, surface energy. The origin of these is attributed to the presence strong electronegative polarizable fluorine atom in backbone polymers, which leads C–F bond (with high dissociation energy 485 kJ mol–1). Because features, polymers have found applications functional coatings, thermoplastics, biomedical items, separators, binders for Li ion batteries, fuel cell membranes, piezoelectric devices, high-quality wires cables, so forth. Usually, are synthesized by conventional radical (co)polymerization fluoroalkenes, production (co)polymers with an ill-defined end group, uncontrolled molar mass, dispersity values. In last two decades, significant developments various reversible deactivation polymerization (RDRP) techniques helped design macromolecular architectures (including block, graft, star, dendrimers) on demand. However, relevant new applications, well-defined controlled (e.g., block copolymers thermoplastic elastomers electroactive or graft membranes) required. Several RDRP methods, developed paved way synthesis dispersity, chain end-functionality, architectures. Some been successfully employed fluorinated copolymers. These include iodine-transfer (ITP), addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization, organometallic-mediated (OMRP), and, lesser extent, nitroxide-mediated (NMP). Impressive control mass parameters via also encouraged researchers combine other postpolymerization strategies, leading innovative novel polymeric materials. Thus, exhibited combination (such weather resistance, thermal/chemical/aging morphological versatility, dielectric constant/flammability/refractive index). led application materials high-technology high-performance elastomers, coatings marine antifouling surfactants, gel polymer electrolytes batteries. Newer advances field need hour order synthesize more advanced may change use engineering fields current century. it should be kept mind that success this regard shall heavily depend deeper understanding process structure–activity relationships.