A Novel Poly(p-phenylene) Containing Alternating Poly(perfluorooctylethyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) and Polystyrene Grafts by Combination of Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization and Suzuki Coupling Processes

A poly(p-phenylene) (PP), carrying perfectly alternating, well-defined poly(perfluorooctylethyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) [P(FEA-co-MMA)] and polystyrene (PS) side chain grafts, was synthesized by the combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and Suzuki cross-coupling processes. First, dibromobenzene and diboronic ester functional macromonomers of P(FEA-co-MMA) and PS, respectively, were prepared by ATRP. In the second step, PP with lateral alternating P(FEA-co-MMA) and PS chains was synthesized by a Suzuki coupling reaction in the presence of Pd(PPh3)(4) catalyst. The wetting behavior of the polymers was studied by measurements of the static contact angle theta of thin films (200-400 nm thickness) using water and n-hexadecane as wetting liquids. The obtained fluorinated PP showed high static contact angles with both interrogating liquids, exhibiting simultaneously hydrophobic (theta(w) = 111 degrees) and lipophobic (theta(h) = 67 degrees) properties. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 50: 4911-4919, 2012