Synthesis and application of new types of fluorinated oxetanes

Herein, a simple strategy is presented for the one-pot synthesis of fluorinated oxetanes based on the click reaction between fluorinated thiol and ene groups induced by UV radiation. The final fluorinated product was obtained within 10 min and with a nearly 99 % yield. The cationic ring-opening epoxy polymerization at varying concentrations of these fluorinated oxetanes was conducted using real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Compared with traditional post-heating process, the pre-heating process showed higher efficiency and energy saving for the preparation of the final coating. The wettability and hardness of the so-prepared fluorinated coatings were thereafter evaluated. Due to the bicyclic rigid structure, the addition of only 2 mol% FNOX led to an increase in the water contact angle from 64 degrees to 107 degrees and a change in pencil hardness from HB to 4H. Furthermore, improved hardness significantly increased its wear resistance. After 50 abrasion test cycles, the coating retained good hydrophobicity. This synthetic route provides new insights into the potential industrial production of fluorinated coatings on a large scale and at a low cost.