Mild-Temperature Mn2(CO)10-Photomediated Controlled Radical Polymerization of Vinylidene Fluoride and Synthesis of Well-Defined Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Block Copolymers

By contrast to typical high-temperature (100-250 °C) telo-/polymerizations of gaseous fluorinated monomers, carried out in high-pressure metal reactors, the visible light, Mn(2)(CO)(10)-photomediated initiation of vinylidene fluoride (bp = -83 °C) polymerization occurs readily from a variety of alkyl, semifluorinated, and perfluorinated halides at 40 °C, in low-pressure glass tubes and in a variety of solvents, including water and alkyl carbonates. Perfluorinated alkyl iodide initiators also induce a controlled radical polymerization via iodine degenerative transfer (IDT). While IDT proceeds with accumulation of the less reactive P(m)-CF(2)-CH(2)-I vs the P(n)-CH(2)-CF(2)-I chain ends, Mn(2)(CO)(10) enables their subsequent quantitative activation toward the synthesis of well-defined poly(vinylidene fluoride) block copolymers with a variety of other monomers.