Synthesis and characterization of castor oil-based polyols with fluorine-containing pendant groups

Abstract

A novel castor oil-based polyols with fluorine-containing pendant groups (CO-FPOL) has been synthesized through ring-opening polymerization from castor oil (CO), propylene oxide (PO) and self-made 3-(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluoro-octyloxymethyl)-Oxirane (TDFOMO). The TDFOMO was synthesized from 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-Tridecafluoro-1-octanol (TDFOL) and Epichlorohydrin (ECH). Then, the CO-FPOLs further reacted with a 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) to prepare a one-component fluorinated polyurethane coating (CO-FPUP). Strikingly, the fluorine content of CO-FPOL can be easily controlled, the thermal stability of CO-FPOL and CO-FPUP increased with the increasing of fluorine content. It was all found that with the fluorine content of CO-FPOL increasing from 0% to 17.72%, the static water contact angle of CO-FPUPs increased from 90° to 106°, and the static oil contact angle of CO-FPUPs increased from 20° to 54°. The XPS survey spectra revealed that the fluorine in the cured polyurethane would migrate to the surface easier due to the fluorinated pendant groups which moving easier between molecular chains. All the above results suggest that the introduction of fluorinated pendant groups in polyether polyol has great improvements in the thermal stability and the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of polymer materials.