PHOTOOXIDATION OF COPOLYMERS OF FLUORINATED OLEFINS AND ALLYL OR VINYL ETHERS

This article reports the results on the photooxidation mechanisms of t wo copolymers of fluorinated olefins and allyl or vinyl ethers. It is shown that the presence of the fluorine atoms influences strongly both the orientation of the reaction and the photooxidation kinetics. Due to the neighbouring fluorine atoms, the methylene groups in alpha-posi tion of the oxygen of the ether groups are not equivalent regarding ox idation and the secondary carbon becomes more oxidable than the tertia ry one. Because these unexpected results were obtained, the study has been extended to non fluorinated polyethers. On the basis of the resul ts obtained, a general mechanism of the primary oxidation of polyether s is given, and the role played by the fluorine atoms on the orientati on of the reactions is discussed.