Perfluorooctanoic acid

Perfluorooctanoic acid, also called PFOA, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C7F15COOH. PFOA was used as a surfactant (a chemical that helps mix other chemicals together) and plasticiser (a chemical that helps polymers be more flexible). Use of PFOA is decreasing because of environmental concerns and links to cancer.

Preparation

Like most perfluoro acids, PFOA can be made by electrochemical fluorination of a parent organic acid. For PFOA, this parent is octanoic acid or its acid chloride, octanoyl chloride. It can also be prepared by telomerization of tetrafluoroethylene.[1]

Sources

  1. ↑ Lehmler, Hans-Joachim (2005). "Synthesis of environmentally relevant fluorinated surfactants—a review". Chemosphere. 58 (11): 1471–1496. Bibcode:2005Chmsp..58.1471L. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.11.078. PMID 15694468.
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