UV-curing of fluorinated systems: synthesis and properties

The study concerns the UV-curing of systems containing fluorinated products. New difunctional and monofunctional acrylic and methacrylic monomers bearing either a perfluoroalkyl chain or a perfluoropolyether structure were synthesized. The properties of the films obtained were investigated. By copolymerizing a small amount of the fluorinated acrylates with acrylic resins, while the bulk properties of the films were not changed, the surface properties were deeply modified and became highly hydrophobic. This behaviour was due to a selective enrichment of the fluorinated monomer at the film surface. The dependence of the surface properties on the monomer structure, on its concentration and on the type of substrate was studied.