Synthesis of new aromatic perfluorovinyl ether monomers containing phosphonic acid functionality

The synthesis of a new perfluorovinyl ether monomer containing phosphonic acid functionality is reported. It started from 4-[(alpha, beta, beta-trifluorovinyl)oxy]bromo benzene prepared in two steps from the nucleophilic substitution of 4-bromophenate to 1,2-dibromotetrafluoroethane. The [(alpha, beta, beta-tri fluorovinyl)oxy] benzene dialkyl phosphonate was prepared according to various methods of phosphonation like a Michaelis-Arbuzov or a Michaelis-Becker or a palladium catalysed arylation in the presence of various reactants. The influence of the nature of the method and of the reactants onto the yields is discussed. It was shown that reaction involving a palladium triphenyl phosphine catalyst led to the best yield. All different aromatic intermediates and fluoromonomers were characterised by H-1, P-31 and F-19 NMR, mass spectrometry (EI), and by FTIR. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.