Stronger Plastics and Better Anti-Glare Coatings: Exploring the Properties of a Fluorinated CBDO Structure
Date
2013-05
Authors
Lynch, Jonathan
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Abstract
Exciting advances have been made in recent years regarding both polymers that incorporate fluorine atoms or groups and polymers that incorporate 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (CBDO) based monomers into their backbone. A wide range of polymers have incorporated fluorine into their systems, usually in the form of trifluoromethyl (-CF3) groups. These groups increase the thermal and thermooxidative stability, flame resistance, mechanical stability, and optical transparency. The latter, especially, makes these systems optimal for anti-glare coatings for eyeglasses, military and commercial aircraft windows, and spacecraft windows. Incorporating trifluoromethyl groups into a polymer system via a cyclic structure opens the door to the potential for some particularly exciting properties, especially those of mechanical and thermal stability. A process for the preparation of the novel compound 2,2,4,4-tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)cyclobutane-1,3-diol (F12-CBDO) is described. Polymers incorporating this new monomer were expected to show superior mechanical and thermal stability, flame resistance, optical transparency, and other properties compared to their non-fluorinated counterparts. They were also expected to show superior properties compared to systems that did not incorporate a CBDO monomer at all. While successful synthesis of the F12-CBDO monomer was not achieved in the time constraints of this experiment, several considerations for future research concerning this monomer are discussed.
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Keywords
organic, chemistry, Trifluoromethyl, coating, film, novel, polymer, CBDO, Honors College
Citation
Lynch, J. D. (2013). Stronger plastics and better anti-glare coatings: Exploring the properties of a fluorinated CBDO structure (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.