Abstract: | Fluorine‐containing polyethers with pendant hydroxyl groups were synthesized by the polyaddition of fluorine‐containing bis(epoxide)s with certain fluorine‐containing diols with quaternary onium salts as catalysts. When the polyaddition was performed with 2,2′,6,6′‐tetrafluoro‐4,4′‐biphenol diglycidiyl ether and 2,2′,6,6′‐tetrafluoro‐4,4′‐biphenol, the corresponding polyether with pendant hydroxyl groups was successfully obtained in good yield. The polyaddition of certain fluorine‐containing bis(epoxide)s with diols also proceeded in bulk to provide the corresponding fluorine‐containing polyethers with high molecular weights. These polyethers were highly transparent at 157 nm for 0.1 μm thickness, with their transmittance of 14–75% at 157 nm. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2543–2550, 2004 |