SYNTHESIS AND SURFACTANT PROPERTIES OF NOVEL ACRYLIC-ACID OLIGOMERS CONTAINING PERFLUORO-OXA-ALKYLENE UNITS - AN APPROACH TO ANTI-HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 AGENTS

A new polymeric perfluoro-oxa-alkane diacyl peroxide has been prepared by the reaction of the corresponding perfluoro-oxa-alkane diacid fluo ride and hydrogen peroxide under alkaline conditions. The decompositio n behavior of this peroxide was quite similar to those of the fluoroal kanoyl peroxides [(R(F)COO(2))(2); R(F) = perfluoroalkyl and perfluoro -oxa-alkyl groups]. This peroxide decomposed homolytically with decarb oxylation to afford the -R(F)-. unit and, in addition, was useful for the introduction of the perfluoro-oxa-alkylene (-R(F)-) unit into acry lic acid homo- and co-oligomers via a radical process, These new acryl ic acid oligomers containing the perfluoro-oxa-alkylene unit were show n to be soluble in water, methanol, ethanol, and tetrahydrofuran and w ere not only able to reduce the surface tension of water effectively b ut also to confer a good oil repellency, Furthermore, acrylic acid co- oligomers containing this perfluoro-oxa-alkylene unit were found to be potent and selective inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-l) in vitro.