Fluorinated networks through photopolymerisation processes: synthesis, characterisation and properties

The study concerns the UV curing of systems containing fluorinated products. New difunctional and monofunctional monomers and oligomers bearing either radical or cationic photopolymerisable functionalities were synthesised. They were UV cured and the properties of the films obtained were investigated. In some cases biphasic structures were obtained, showing the separation between the fluorinated and hydrogenated domains at nanometric level. By copolymerising a low amount of the fluorinated additive with hydrogenated resins, the bulk properties of the films were not changed, but a deep modification of the surface was obtained. In all cases a selective enrichment of the fluorinated monomer at the film surface was observed. The dependence of the surface properties on the monomer structure, on its concentration and on the type of substrate was studied. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.