Novel perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether compound, process for preparing copolymer by using the compound, and optical plastic materials comprising copolymer prepared by the process

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a novel perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether compound, a process for preparing a copolymer by using the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether compound, and an optical plastic material comprising a copolymer prepared by the process. More specifically, the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether has a particular molecular structure; the process is performed by copolymerizing the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether compound with a common fluorinated olefin in the presence of a perfluorinated radical initiator; and, the optical plastic material comprises a copolymer prepared by the process and optionally a dopant. The copolymerization of the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether with a common fluorinated olefin can provide a copolymer having a high molecular weight. In addition, appropriate control of the composition of the monomers can provide a completely amorphous copolymer. Since the polymer prepared by the process exhibits excellent thermal properties and is substantially transparent in the UV and near IR regions, it can be usefully applied to various optical plastic materials. Furthermore, a preform for a GI type plastic optical fiber fabricated by using the copolymer and the dopant has a high T g , thus being stable, and a parabolic refractive index profile due to the presence of the dopant.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . A process for preparing a fluorinated polymer by copolymerizing a perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether represented by Formula 1 below: 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein RF is a fluorine atom or a C 1˜5  perfluoroalkyl group; A is a single bond, —(CF 2 ) n — in which n is an integer of 1 to 5, or —(CF 2 CR F   2 —O—CF 2 )— in which the substituents R F  are each independently a fluorine atom or a C 1˜5  perfluoroalkyl group; 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
        is a perfluoro cyclohexyl, perfluorophenyl, perfluorodioxanyl or perfluorodioxalanyl group, 
       and a perfluorinated olefin monomer in a chlorofluorinated solvent in the presence of a perfluorinated radical initiator. 
     
   
   
       4 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether and the perfluorinated olefin monomer are copolymerized with a fluorinated monomer represented by Formula 5 below: 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein RF is a fluorine atom or a C 1˜5  perfluoroalkyl group; and 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
        is a perfluoro cyclohexyl, perfluorophenyl, perfluorodioxanyl or perfluorodioxalanyl group. 
     
   
   
       5 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the cyclic perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (A) of Formula 1 and the perfluorinated olefin monomer (B) is copolymerized in a molar ratio (A:B) between 99:1 and 50:50. 
   
   
       6 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether compound is a compound represented by any one of Formulae 2 to 4 below: 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     and
 the perfluorinated olefin monomer is tetrafluoroethylene or hexafluoropropylene. 
 
   
   
       7 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the perfluorinated radical initiator is a perfluorinated peroxide compound. 
   
   
       8 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the perfluorinated radical initiator is bis-perfluorocyclohexyl-peroxide of Formula 6 below, a polyperfluoroperoxide represented by Formula 7 below or a mixture thereof: 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein n is an integer between 1 and 10, and m is an integer between 1 and 40. 
     
   
   
       9 . A polymer prepared by the process according to  claim 8 . 
   
   
       10 . An optical plastic material comprising the polymer according to  claim 9 . 
   
   
       11 . The optical plastic material according to  claim 10 , further comprising a dopant having a refractive index difference of 0.001 or more from the polymer. 
   
   
       12 . The optical plastic material according to  claim 11 , wherein the dopant is selected from the group consisting of perfluorofluorene, perfluorobenzyltetralin, poly(trifluoro-chloroethylene) oil, perfluoro-polyether oil (Krytox) and 1,1,3,5,6-pentachloro-nonafluorobenzene. 
   
   
       13 . The optical plastic material according to  claim 10 , wherein the polymer is used to produce a step refractive index type optical fiber, a rod lens, an optical waveguide, an optical decoupler, a wavelength multiplexer and wavelength demultiplexer, an optical attenuator, an optical switch, an optical isolator, a light transmitting module, a light receiving module, a coupler, an optical detector or an optical integrated circuit. 
   
   
       14 . A preform for an optical fiber fabricated from the optical plastic material according to  claim 10 . 
   
   
       15 . An optical fiber produced from the preform according to  claim 14 . 
   
   
       16 . A polymer prepared by the process according to  claim 4 . 
   
   
       17 . A polymer prepared by the process according to  claim 5 . 
   
   
       18 . A polymer prepared by the process according to  claim 6 . 
   
   
       19 . A polymer prepared by the process according to  claim 7 . 
   
   
       20 . A polymer prepared by the process according to  claim 8 . 
   
   
       21 . A preform for an optical fiber fabricated from the optical plastic material according to  claim 11 . 
   
   
       22 . An optical fiber produced from the preform according to  claim 21 .