Effect of the structural parameters of a series of fluoromonoacrylates on the surface properties of cured films

A series of fluorinated acrylates [F(CF2)(q)-(CH2)(P)-OCOCH=CH2, where q = 8 and p = 2 divided by 11) were synthesized and used as comonomers in the p hotopolymerization of acrylic systems. These fluoroacrylates were synthesiz ed in a three-step procedure through the radical addition of perfluoroalkyl iodides to an unsaturated alcohol followed by their acrylation. The mixture s, containing up to 0.8% (w/w) of the comonomers, produced transparent film s after UV curing; they showed changes in the surface properties as a funct ion of the comonomer type and concentration. With contact-angle and X-ray p hotoelectron spectroscopy analyses, the relationship between the structure of the monomers and the surface properties of the UV-cured films was invest igated: the wettability decreased, depending on the length of the fluorinat ed group (q value) and the hydrogenated segment of the monomer (p value). ( C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.