Novel self-cross-linking fluorinated polyacrylate latex films with short chain perfluoroalkyl group: Surface free energy and surface reorganization

Fluorinated polymers with chains longer than six carbon perfluoroalkyl groups have been banned due to their detrimental effects on environment and human health, and other alternatives are of increasing concerns. In this study, an environmentally friendly self-cross-linking fluorinated polyacrylate hybrid latex with short perfluoroalkyl group has been synthesized from the monomers of (2-(perfluorobutyl) ethyl acrylate (PFHEA, four carbon atoms), stearyl acrylate (SA)), methyl methacylate (MMA), butyl acylate (BA), octamethylclotetrasiloxane (D-4) and cross-linking agent (vinyltriethoxysilane, VTES) by a simple one-step miniemulsion copolymerization. The wetting properties, surface energy and surface reorganization, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the synthesized hybrid latex films were systematically investigated. Results showed that the stable low surface energy of these synthesized self-cross-linking fluorinated polyacrylate hybrid latex films with short chain perfluoroalkyl group were attributed to the synergetic effect of crystal side chains of stearyl pendant groups and cross-linking structure effectively restricted the reconstruction of short fluorine chains. Furthermore, the optimum VTES content was 5 wt%, the obtained latex film exhibited excellent mechanical properties. We envision that this new class of self-crosslinking fluorinated polymer latexes has great potential as nonwetting coatings.