13171-18-1 | Hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether

CAS:13171-18-1 | Hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether ,Description

Hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether, commonly referred to as HFIP, is a colorless, volatile, non-flammable liquid with a boiling point of 34 °C. It is a low-polarity, fluorinated ether that is used in a variety of applications, including as a solvent for organic synthesis, as a reagent in organic synthesis, and as a surfactant in aqueous solutions. It is also used in the production of high-performance polymers, as a blowing agent in foam production, and as a fuel additive.
 

Scientific Research Applications

1. Industrial Production and Catalytic Synthesis

Hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether (HFE-356mmz) is a significant substitute for chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, boasting zero ozone depletion potential and low global warming potential. A novel approach involves the methylation of hexafluoroisopropanol using metal fluorides as catalysts, marking a significant stride in pollution-free and recyclable synthetic processes for its mass production. Magnesium fluoride (MgF2) demonstrated exceptional activity in this context, providing a solvent-free and efficient method for industrial-scale production (Li, Yang, Lu, & Zhang, 2020); (Li, Lu, & Zhang, 2021).

2. Polymer Synthesis and Stability

In polymer science, hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether plays a role in the synthesis of homo- and copolymers. Specifically, its copolymers with fluorinated acrylates and fluoroacrylates exhibit enhanced thermal, photochemical, and hydrolytic stability. The presence of fluorinated groups in these polymers modifies their degradation pathways, demonstrating the protective action of these groups against degradation (Signori, Lazzari, Castelvetro, & Chiantore, 2006).

3. Application in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether (HFPM) has been utilized in developing nonflammable electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. It exhibits high anodic stability and compatibility with graphite anodes. Batteries with this electrolyte demonstrated exceptional cycling stability and capacity retention, highlighting its potential in enhancing battery safety and longevity (Xia, Xia, Wang, Hu, Lee, Yu, Chen, & Liu, 2015) .

4. SiO2 Etching in Inductively Coupled Plasmas

In semiconductor manufacturing, hexafluoroisopropyl methyl ether-related compounds are employed for plasma etching of SiO2. These compounds, with significantly lower global warming potentials than perfluorocompounds, result in higher SiO2 etch rates and demonstrate unique etching characteristics crucial for the microfabrication processes (Kim, Park, & Kim, 2020).

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