Homework Help: Why is Teflon oliophobic?

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Ostensibly, it is the strong C-F bond which provides Teflon with its oliophobic properties.

As for bonding Teflon to metals, as I understand it the metal substrate is normally treated in order to allow it to react with the tetraflurorethylene. Apparently, traditional processes use temperatures up to 1800°F or about 1000°C. However a catalyzed process has been developed which allows Teflon bonding at reduced temperatures -
http://utamagazine.uta.edu/fall_2001/discoveries.html [Broken]

 

I consulted with one of my fluorine chemist friends and he gave me the following reason. Apparently, the fluorine size and electron withdrawing properties result in a chain that has an electronic cloud, without interruption, along its length. He explained it to me as being very silimar to a graphitic structure where the pi electron cloud shields the carbon from any interaction resulting in graphite being a very good lubricant... just like teflon.

He also mentioned that the electronic "sheath" around the carbon gives the carbon chain a helical twist with a period of roughly 23 carbons. He mentioned that some good crystallography discussions were in the literature in the mid to late 60's discussing this helical twist phenomenon.

Interesting...