Synthesis and direct fluorination of dendritic monomers

CHED 818

Lindsay A. Read, geneva145@yahoo.com, Chemistry, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Avenue, Conway, AR 72035 and Kyle W. Felling, kfelling@uca.edu, Department of Chemistry, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Avenue, Conway, AR 72035.
Dendrimers are highly branched molecules consisting of a central core from which regular repeat units emanate to form a globular, monodisperse macromolecule. Fluorinated dendrimers are a class of molecules, which have very unique properties compared to normal dendrimers because of the strong electron-withdrawing influence of the fluorine atoms. They have considerable potential applications as optoelectronic materials, surfactants, solvents, and drug delivery agents. Direct fluorination, a process in which elemental fluorine is used to replace hydrogen atoms in organic/inorganic compounds with fluorine atoms, has many advantages for commercial and large-scale production of fluorocarbons with high yields. In this study, the perfluorinated analogues of polyether, sulfur-containing and poly (propylene imine) dendrimer frameworks are produced using the Exfluor-Lagow direct fluorination technique. Subsequent characterization is also discussed.