BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,684 teaches the following reaction: ##STR2## where X is F, Cl, H, CF.sub.2 H, CF.sub.2 Cl or CF.sub.3 n is at least 1.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,568 teaches the following reaction: ##STR3## where X is F or CF.sub.3

U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,875 teaches that compounds represented by the general formula ##STR4## may be pyrolyzed at 200.degree.-600.degree. C. in the presence of a solid catalyst to compounds represented by the general formula ##STR5## where

M is a radical selected from the group consisting of F, OH, amino, OMe

Me is an alkali metal radical, or a quaternary ammonium radical

Z is F or OX

X is an alkali metal

X is F or CF.sub.3

n is 1 to 3

J. E. Fearn, et al teach in the Journal of Polymer Science, Vol. 4, Part A-1, p. 131-140, (1966) "Polymers and TerPolymers of Perfluoro-1,4,-pentadiene", that in the pyrolysis of the sodium salts of carboxylic acids which contain fluorine and chlorine in the beta position, sodium chloride is preferentially, but not exclusively eliminated. For example ##STR6##

U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,778 shows the pyrolysis of ##STR7## to a vinyl ether.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,426 shows the pyrolysis reaction ##STR8## where

Y is --COOR, --COOH, --COOM or --CN

R is an alkyl group of from 1-6 carbon atoms

M is an alkali metal

p is 1 to 5

n is 1 to 6

British Pat. No. 1,518,387 shows, and claims use of polymers from as membranes, compounds represented by the structure

CF.sub.2 .dbd.CFOCF.sub.2 (CFXOCF.sub.2).sub.l (CFX').sub.m (CF.sub.2 OCFX").sub.n --A where l is 0 to 3; m is 0 to 6; n is 0 to 4, and one of l and n is not 0; X,X' and X" are the same or different and respectively represent F or CF.sub.3 ; A represents --C.tbd.N, COF, COOH, COOR.sub.1, COOM and CONR.sub.2 R.sub.3 and R.sub.1 represents C.sub.1-10 alkyl group, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 each represent a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-10 alkyl group and M represents an alkali metal or a quaternary ammonium group.

Compounds, such as ##STR9## are shown as prepared by the addition of two equivalents of hexafluoropropylene oxide to one equivalent of ##STR10## followed by decarboxylation to the vinyl ether. Compounds derived from the addition of one equivalent of the epoxide such as ##STR11## are excluded by the general structure shown above.

R. D. Chambers, in his book, Fluorine in Organic Chemistry, published by John Wiley & Sons, 1973, pages 211-212, teaches that carboxylic acid derivatives may be converted to olefins. The conversion is taught to involve the loss of carbon dioxide and formation of an intermediate carbanion. The intermediate then looses NaF to form the resulting olefin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Compounds represented by the general formula

Y--(CFR.sub.f).sub.a --(CFR.sub.f ').sub.b --O--CF.dbd.CF.sub.2

are prepared by decarboxylation of compounds represented by the general formula ##STR12## where

a=0-3

b=0-3

provided a+b=2 or 3

Y is an acid derivative

X=Cl, Br, or I

M=OR, F, Cl, Br, I or OA

A=alkali metal or quaternary nitrogen salt or hydrogen

R.sub.f ' and R.sub.f are independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, perfluoroalkyl and chlorofluoroalkyl

R is an alkyl group having one or more carbon atoms or aryl.

The decarboxylation is carried out at from about 50.degree. C. to about 60.degree. C. An activator such as a base, ZnO, silica or other known activators may be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Based upon the known art, one would expect to produce cyclic compounds by decarboxylating compounds represented by the general formula ##STR13## when Y is an acid derivative having a group displaceable by a nucleophile and when a+b=2 or 3.

This is the case as shown by U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,568 which shows ring formation when Y.dbd.FSO.sub.2, R.sub.f .dbd.R.sub.f '.dbd.F, X.dbd.F and a+b=2.

It is generally accepted (see Chambers) that decarboxylations of acids or derivatives to olefins involves loss of carbon dioxide to form an intermediate carbanion. When Y contains a leaving group which can be displaced by a nucleophile, and a+b=2 or 3 such that a 5 or 6 membered ring can be formed by displacing that leaving group from Y with the intermediate nucleophilic carbanion, then the 5 or 6 member ring would be the expected product. It is well known that because of the proximity of reactive groups involved in forming 5 or 6 membered rings and the stability of these rings, that formation of the rings is highly favored.

During the decarboxylation reaction of U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,568 the following sequence is expected to occur which forms areactive carbanion intermediate according to the following and then cyclizes to a cyclic sulfone from that intermediate. ##STR14## In this intermediate there is located a nucleophile (the carbanion) in a position such that formation of a 5 membered ring is possible by reaction of the carbanion with the sulfur, displacing F, to form NaF. This ring formation is shown by the patent and is confirmed by our comparative Example 1.

Ring formation is expected not only with FSO.sub.2 but with other groups which fit the above description. For example, it is well known that carboxylic acid halides and phosphonic acid halides and esters readily react with nucleophiles such as OH.sup.-, or carbanions, such as methyl lithium, displacing the halide or alkoxide from the carbonyl or phosphoryl.

However, it has been unexpectedly found that a linear olefin results when X is Cl, I, or Br, as opposed to the prior art where X was F.

The following compounds do not form rings during decarboxylation, although ring formation would be expected, but rather, they form linear, vinyl ether monomers useful in polymer synthesis, as shown by the following reaction: ##STR15## where

a=0-3

b=0-3

provided a+b=2 or 3,

Y is an acid derivative,

X=Cl, Br, I,

M=OR, F, Cl, Br, I or OA,

A=alkali metal, alkali earth metal, quaternary nitrogen, or hydrogen;

R.sub.f ' and R.sub.f are independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, perfluoroalkyl and chlorofluoroalkyl,

R is an alkyl group having one or more carbons or aryl.

Even though all ring-forming conditions are met, reaction site on Y for displacement and 5 or 6 membered ring formation, reaction occurs to produce the olefin substantially completely. Substantially complete formation of olefin, rather than cyclic compounds, by NaX elimination, particularly NaCl, is indeed surprising and unexpected.

The decarboxylation is conducted according to known methods, such as those taught by Chambers. For example, the decarboxylation temperatures may be from about 50.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C. The decarboxylation reaction may be conducted in the presence of an activator. The activator may be a base such as sodium carbonate or ZnO, silica or other known activators.

Optionally, a dispersant may be used to enhance the decarboxylation reactions. Suitable dispersants should be unreactive and may include such materials as tetraglyme, diglyme or glyme.

It is particularly convenient to use a slurry of Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 in the above dispersants for the decarboxylation reactions.

In general formula, Y is an acid derivative. For example, Y may be ##STR16## where Z is a leaving group such as OR, F, Cl, Br, or I and R is an alkyl radical having one or more carbon atoms or an aryl radical.

In the general formula, M may be OR, F, Cl, Br, I or OA where A is hydrogen, an alkali metal or a quaternary nitrogen and R is an alkyl radical having one or more carbon atoms or an aryl radical.

R.sub.f and R.sub.f ' in the general formula, may be independently F, CL or a perfluoroalkyl or a chlorofluoroalkyl containing from one or more carbon atoms. a and b may independently represent an integer of 0 to 3, inclusive, provided that a+b is equal to 2 to 3.

In addition to unexpectedly forming vinyl ether compounds rather than cyclic compounds, it is also surprising that there is not evidence of formation of X substituted olefins. In the decarboxylation reaction either NaX can be eliminated to form .about.OCF.dbd.CF.sub.2 of NaF can be eliminated to form .about.OCF.dbd.CFX. While it is not surprising that elimination of NaX predominates, it is surprising, particularly when X.dbd.Cl, to have substantially exclusive elimination of NaX. Fearn reports the preferential elimination of chloride from pyrolysis of sodium salts of carboxylic acids which contain both fluorine and chlorine in the .beta. position, but not exclusive elimination of chloride. Fearn actually isolated some of the product resulting from fluoride elimination. No evidence, by I.R., Mass Spectrocopy or F.sup.19 NMR, has shown indications of NaF elimination in the decarboxylation reactions of the present invention.

The discovery described herein represents a marked improvement over methods of the prior art for producing acid derivative functional vinyl ethers having three or four atoms, inclusive, between the functional group and the vinyl group. As discussed previously, formation of cyclic compounds resulted when decarboxylation reactions were used.

There is one reported method to prepare the compound FSO.sub.2 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 OCF.dbd.CF.sub.2 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,568). In this patent is taught the following sequence: ##STR17##

The cyclic sulfone starting material is prepared by decarboxylation of ##STR18## Clearly, all of the steps shown by the above sequence are in addition to the reaction of the present invention. The same reaction as used for making the starting cyclic sulfone for the above sequence is the only reaction required for making the desired vinyl ether monomer in the present invention.

It is important to have the sulfonyl fluoride group in the vinyl ether monomer rather than having the sulfur present as sulfonic acid or the acid salt. Polymers and copolymers with other vinyl monomers made from the sulfonyl fluoride form of the monomer, and hence having the sulfonyl fluoride in the resulting polymers, are thermoplastic and can thus be fabricated into films, pellets and the like by conventional plastic fabrication techniques such as melt extrusion. Once fabricated, the polymers can then be hydrolyzed, with base, to the sodium salt of the acid which can then be easily converted to the sulfonic acid with a variety of commercial acids such as HCl, HNO.sub.3, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, and the like. Representative of these conversions are: ##STR19##

These materials, in the acid and salt forms, are extremely useful as solid acid catalyst and ion exchange membranes, particularly as membranes in electrolytic chlor-alkali cells.

Preparation of the polymers with the monomer in the acid or salt form results in polymers with the functional group in the same form and renders the polymers essentially unfabricatable by conventional fabrication techniques.

The above arguments apply equally well when Y.dbd.COZ and PO(Z).sub.2. The fact that it is desirable to have Z equal halogen, OR or the like so that thermo-plastic polymers can be formed, fabricated and then easily converted to the acid or salt form means that Z must be a leaving group. Formation of the vinyl ether monomers by decarboxylation and having the properties provided by Z in the polymers as discussed above are mutually exclusive when X.dbd.F. The values provided for X in the present invention allow formation of the monomers by the one, simple, decarboxylation step and provide all of the desirable properties for the subsequently formed polymers.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1

300 ml of dry tetraglyme and 62.2 grams anhydrous Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 were added to a 1000 ml 3 neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, thermometer, reflux condenser and an inlet port. Two -78.degree. C. cold traps were located in series downstream of the reflux condenser. 154 grams of product containing 92.1% ##STR20## as identified by GCMS and VPC analyses were added dropwise. There was a slight temperature rise from 22.degree. C. to about 35.degree. C. over the period during the addition. Temperature of reactor was increased to 82.degree. C. At this temperature there was obtained considerable reflux. The reflux condenser was removed and the product collected in the cold traps. The temperature was raised to 150.degree. C. with the system under vacuum. 80.5 gms of the product was collected in first cold trap and 1 gm in the second. The product was analyzed by VPC and IR. Essentially all of the starting material had reacted. The yield to the n.dbd.o product (FSO.sub.2 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 OCF.dbd.CF.sub.2) was 70.6% as a product analyzing 95% FSO.sub.2 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 OCF.dbd.CF by VPC. IR analysis showed bands as follows:

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    Vinyl Ether        1830 wave no. (cm.sup.-1)
    --SO.sub.2 F       1460 wave no.
    --SO.sub.2 F       1240 wave no.
    --SF                810 wave no.
    VPC
    B. Pt. = 75.degree.-76.degree. C.
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    Wave No. (cm.sup.-1)
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     1360
                      ##STR23##
     1150
                      ##STR24##
    B. Pt. .about.80.degree. C.
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