Preparation of segmented semifluorinated poly(aryl ether)s from aromatic trifluorovinyl ethers and oligo(ethylene glycol)s.

ABSTRACT A series of new segmented semifluorinated polyaryl ethers (PAEs) containing a biphenyl segmented by semifluorinated oligoethylene (SFE) units were prepared by nucleophilic addition of a commercial oligo(ethylene glycol)s to 4,4′-bis(4-trifluorovinyloxy)biphenyl. These new thermoplastics were characterized by ¹H and F¹⁹ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis displayed number average molecular weights ( M_ns) from 9000 to 13,000. Thermal properties of the polymers were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). DSC chromatograms displayed glass transition temperatures ( T_gs) from 11 to 1°C. The onsets of degradations were observed by TGA analysis between 313 to 333°C in air and 326 to 363°C in nitrogen, respectively. A second onset of degradation was observed from 452 to 470°C for all polymers. In addition, crystalline morphologies were studied by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) and showed needle-like crystallites. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41798. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]