Pentadecafluorooctanoic-acid-free polytetrafluoroethylene and mechanism of PFOA formation by γ-irradiation.

Low-molecular-weight (Mw) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micropowder is added to wax for use in automotive equipment and printing machines and is produced by radiation-initiated degradation under atmospheric conditions. However, pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is produced as a by-product in concentrations greater than 25 ppb, which is problematic because PFOA does not degrade in the environment. Herein, we clarify the PFOA-formation mechanism and develop a manufacturing process for a novel low-Mw PTFE micropowder that does not contain PFOA (less than 5 ppb). The process uses combined irradiation and heat treatment in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Furthermore, PFOA-free PTFE micropowder can be produced on the 10-kg scale.

Phosphasilaferracyclopropane: an activator of small molecules having polarized single, double, and aromatic unsaturated bonds.

Irradiation of Cp*(CO)2FeSiMe2PPh2 resulted in the formation of phosphasilaferracyclopropane 2, which readily reacted with small organic molecules with polarized bonds to yield 3-5.