Hydrophobic macromonomers synthesized by Steglich esterification to generate UV-curable materials.

Perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPAE) structures can be functionalized with alcoholic groups using an appropriate synthetic pathway: these new fluorinated alcohols can be used as surface modifying agents, through chain transfer mechanism in cationic UV-curing of an epoxy system. Notwithstanding their very low concentration (only ≤5 wt%), the fluorinated alcohols are able to induce a dramatic improvement to the surface properties of the films, without substantially modifying their curing conditions and their bulk properties, neither their transparency. As confirmed by Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, the fluorinated comonomers tend to concentrate selectively at the outermost layer of the epoxy UVcured coatings, by spontaneously migrating to the free surface due to their low surface tension. The surface modification of the films depends on the concentration of the fluoroalcohols: coatings

Perfluoropolyalkylethers derived from hexafluoropropylene oxide were functionalized with maleimide groups. Irradiated by UV‐light, the new maleimide macromonomers demonstrated very fast polymerization kinetics with a curing time as fast as 8 s. The effect on photopolymerization of different features such as the molecular weight of the fluorinated chain and the chain length of the hydrogenated spacer were studied, as well as the influence of the type of photoinitiator and the presence of air. Thermal and surface properties of the UV‐cured polymers were examined and were typical to fluoropolymers in view of water–oil repellent coatings. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 699–707

Maleimides are attractive systems for photopolymerize for two major reasons: (1) they follow a radical mechanism without requiring a photoinitiator and (2) their rate of polymerization corresponds similarly to acrylates, which are commonplace in the industry. In this work, bismaleimide polypropylene oxide was cured under UV light forming thin films. Their surface properties were modified by copolymerization them with fluorinated comonomers. To this goal, perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPAEs) with maleimide groups were synthesized, varying their chain structure, their functionality degree and consequently their intrinsic viscosity. These PFPPAE comonomers were highlighted to segregate at the surface, assuring omniphobic properties and acting as a protective layer against oxygen inhibition. These phenomenon were observed even when added at a concentration ≤5% w/w with respect to the main polypropylene oxide monomer. XPS analyses confirmed the segregation of the fluorine atoms at the surface during the UV-curing process of the coatings.

Correction for ‘Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters of perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPAEs) based on hexafluoropropylene oxide units for photopolymerization’ by Céline Bonneaud et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 32664–32671.