Controlled radical polymerization vs conventional radical polymerization: differences in surface properties of 4 -nonafluorobutyl styrene polymers

4’-Nonafluorobutyl styrene was synthesized and polymerized by conventional and controlled radical polymerization (CRP) based on iodine transfer polymerization (ITP) technique. The fluorinated monomer was prepared from Ullmann coupling between 1-iodoperfluorobutane and 4’-nonafluorobutyl acetophenone followed by a reduction and a dehydration in overall 50% yield. The radical polymerization of 4’ - nonafluorobutyl styrene was initiated by AIBN and controlled by 1-iodoperfluorohexane in 84% monomer conversion and in 50% yield. The benefits of ITP of 4’-nonafluorobutylstyrene featured (i) a fast monomer conversion, monitored by 1H and 19F NMR in the presence of 1,2-dichloroethane as the internal standard, (ii) the evolution of the ln([M]0/[M]) versus time that evidenced a linear behavior.