Superhydrophobic terpolymer nanofibers containing perfluoroethyl alkyl methacrylate by electrospinning

A new statistical terpolymer containing perfluoroethyl alkyl methacrylate (Zonyl-TM), methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate, poly(Zonyl-TM–ran-MMA–ran-BA) was synthesized in supercritical carbon dioxide at 200 bar and 80 °C using AIBN as an initiator by heterogeneous free radical copolymerization. Nanofibers of this terpolymer were produced by electrospinning from its DMF solution. The structural and thermal properties of terpolymers and electrospun poly(Zonyl-TM–MMA–BA) nanofibers were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Nanofiber morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Electrospun nanofiber layer was found to be superhydrophobic with a water contact angle of 172 ± 1° and highly oleophobic with hexadecane, glycerol and ethylene glycol contact angles of 70 ± 1°, 167 ± 1° and 163 ± 1° respectively. The change of the contact angle results on the electrospun fiber layer and flat terpolymer surfaces by varying feed monomer composition were compared and discussed in the text.