A Hyperbranched Aromatic Fluoropolyester for Photonic Applications

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 36; no. 12; pp. 4355 - 4359
• Main Authors: Kang, Seok Ho, Luo, Jingdong, Ma, Hong, Barto, Richard R, Frank, Curtis W, Dalton, Larry R, Jen, Alex K.-Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 17.06.2003
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Fluorine containing copolymer; End group; Solution polycondensation; Branched polymer; Self condensation; Fluorine containing polymer; Ester polymer; Aromatic polymer; Experimental study; Esterification; Thermal stability; Thermosetting resin; Crosslinked copolymer; Optical losses; Ester copolymer; Chemical modification; Optical properties; Preparation; Vinyl ether copolymer; Hydroxyl group; Optical material
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma0217229

A highly fluorinated hyperbranched aromatic polymer was prepared by a mild one-step polyesterification of an AB2 type monomer at room temperature using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridium 4-toluenesulfonate as the condensation agents. It was then postfunctionalized with thermally cross-linkable aromatic trifluorovinyl ethers to enhance its thermal and mechanical properties for optical waveguide applications. The cross-linked polymer exhibited low optical loss (0.58 dB/cm at 1310 nm) and high thermal stability with less than 5 wt % loss at 470 °C. The degree of branching, as determined by quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy, was found to be 0.50.