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 θ 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 (θ_w = 111°) and lipophobic (θ_h = 67°) properties. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012