Aromatic monomers with pendant fluoroalkylsulfonate and sulfonimide groups

Novel styrene and dimethylisophthalate monomers with pendant lithium fluoroalkylsulfonate or sulfonimide functional groups have been prepared from the corresponding phenolic intermediates. One route involves several steps and uses 1,2-dibromotetrafluoroethane as the key fluorinated intermediate. A second route with fewer steps utilizes a perfluoroalkylsulfonyl-substituted vinyl ether as the source of the fluorinated substituents but affords a product with significantly higher equivalent weight.