CHARACTERIZATION OF A PERFLUOROTETRADECAHYDROPHENANTHRENE OLIGOMER

A complex mixture of oligomeric perfluorocarbons was characterized pri marily by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electron spectrosco py for chemical analysis, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectr ometry. Supporting tools were infrared and ultraviolet/visible spectro metry, plus elemental analysis and conventional gas chromatography/mas s spectrometry. The following distribution of carbon and fluorine grou ps (expressed as the percentage of total carbons) was determined: olef inic carbon, 8%; CF3, 8%; CF2, 51%; and CF, 33%, A general structural framework is proposed with the chemical, formula C14F23(C14F22)(n)C14F 23, where n = 0, 1, and 2 for dimer, trimer, and tetramer, respectivel y. The monomer has the structure of perfluorotetradecahydrophenanthren e. A wide diversity of structures was created during synthesis by (1) loss of fluorine atom pairs to create further ring closure or unsatura ted carbon-carbon bonds and (2) ring opening to obtained perfluoroalky l side chains.