Synthesis and surface properties of a fluorinated polyether

A new polyether consisting of alternate fluorinated/non-fluorinated phenylene units in the backbone has been synthesized via polycondensation of an AB monomer. At room temperature, the polymer film exhibits a low surface energy that is comparable to poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE). However, as the temperature is raised above a particular level, the surface energy of the polymer films starts to increase. Morphological measurements suggest that a smooth thin polymer film can be formed by solvent casting, but it spontaneously dewets the substrate surface when thermally annealed.