Preparation and applications of two fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomeric composites possessing superoleophilic/superhydrophobic characteristic: a review

Two fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomers [R F -(CH 2 CHSi(OMe) 3 ) n -R F ; R F = fluoroalkyl group] can be synthesized by reaction of fluoroalkanoyl peroxides [R F -C(=O)O-O(O=)C-R F ] with vinyltrimethoxysilane under mild conditions. Fluorinated oligomers thus obtained have been applied to the sol-gel reactions in the presence of a wide range of guest molecules ( Guest ) under non-catalytic, alkaline or acidic conditions to provide the corresponding fluorinated oligomers/ Guest composites. Some of these fluorinated composites were found to exhibit a superoleophilic/superhydrophobic characteristic on their surface, applying to not only the separation of oil and water but also the selective removal of fluorinated aromatic compounds in aqueous solutions. These findings will be reviewed in this article. Graphical abstract