The synthesis and characterization of pure head-to-tail polyfluoroethylenes II. Isoregic polytrifluoroethylene.

We report the first synthesis of polytrifluoroethylene (PF (3)E) having a pure head-to-tail (isoregic) sequence of monomer units. The procedure involves reductive debromination or dechlorination of the precursor polymers polybromotrifluoroethylene (PBF(3)E) or polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCF(3)E). We have also prepared head-to-head, tail-to-tail (syndioregic) PF(3)E by the copolymerization of 1,2-difluoroethylene and tetrafluoroethylene. Regioirregular (aregic) PF(3)E samples have been obtained by free-radical polymerizations over a 160C temperature range.