Iodine Transfer Radical Polymerizations of Vinylidene Fluoride in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Polymer Functionalization via Click Chemistry

Vinylidene fluoride polymerizations were carried out in solution with supercritical carbon dioxide using mono and diiodo perfluorinated hexane as chain transfer agents. Characteristics of controlled radical polymerizations were observed leading to polymers with low polydispersities in the range from 1.2 to 1.4. Polymers with iodine end groups were subsequently functionalized with sodium azide and symmetrical alkynes to yield poly(vinylidene fluoride) with triazol end groups.