Purification and thermal analysis of perfluoro-n-alkanoic acids

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2008 Jan 15;61(1):61-5. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2007.07.003. Epub 2007 Jul 19.

Abstract

Purification of perfluoro-n-alkanoic acids (C(n)F(2n+1)COOH, n=7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17) was made by repeated recrystallizations from n-hexane/acetone mixed solvent, and their purity was found to be more than 99.5% by GC-MS, NMR, and elemental analysis. The thermal behaviors such as melting point and enthalpy change of fusion were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The melting point monotonously increased with increasing carbon number (n) of the acids, while the enthalpy change showed irregularity at n=14. The crystal structure of these acids was found to be dependent upon solvent used for recrystallization; that is, the acids recrystallized from the above solvent becomes more stable energetically, indicating their higher enthalpy change of fusion than that of the solidified acids from fused ones. The solid state was also found to vary depending upon the thermal history, indicating that a few crystal structures of the solid state are quite similar energetically. The melting points (T(m)) of perfluoro-n-alkanoic acids are higher than those of corresponding n-alkanoic acids, and the difference in T(m) increases with increasing carbon number in the acids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calorimetry, Differential Scanning
  • Caprylates / chemistry
  • Caprylates / isolation & purification
  • Crystallization
  • Decanoic Acids / chemistry
  • Decanoic Acids / isolation & purification
  • Fatty Acids / chemistry*
  • Fatty Acids / isolation & purification*
  • Fluorocarbons / chemistry*
  • Fluorocarbons / isolation & purification*
  • Lauric Acids / chemistry
  • Lauric Acids / isolation & purification
  • Phase Transition
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Caprylates
  • Decanoic Acids
  • Fatty Acids
  • Fluorocarbons
  • Lauric Acids
  • perfluorodecanoic acid
  • perfluorooctanoic acid
  • perfluorododecanoic acid