In-situ thermal and infrared curing of polymerizable lubricant thin films

1. A composition for forming, in situ, a networked or cross-linked polymeric lubricant thin film bonded to a surface of a substrate, comprising a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative comprising a generally linear perfluoropolyether chain with a reactive moiety or functional group at each end of said chain which undergoes reaction upon said supplying of thermal or infra-red (IR) energy to form a networked or cross-linked polymer of said perfluoropolyether derivative, wherein each of said reactive moieties or functional groups is selected from the group consisting of styrene, α-methyl styrene, and vinyl ester moieties or functional groups.

2. The composition as in claim 1 , wherein said generally linear perfluoropolyether chain comprises a plurality of —(C x F 2 O) n —repeating units, wherein x in each unit is independently an integer from about 1 to about 10 and n is an integer from about 10 to about 30.

3. The composition as in claim 1 , wherein said polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative comprises a generally linear perfluoropolyether chain having a reactive vinyl ester moiety or functional group at each end of said chain, with the following structural formula:

H 2 C═CH—OOCCF 2 C—(—O—CF 2 CF 2 —) q —(—O—CF 2 —) p —O—CF 2 COO—CH═CH 2 ,

wherein the q/p ratio is between about 0.5 and about 1.5.

4. The composition as in claim 1 , further comprising a solvent for said polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative.

5. A method for forming, in situ, a networked or cross-linked polymeric lubricant thin film bonded to a surface of a substrate, which method comprises sequential steps of:

(a) providing a substrate including a surface;

(b) applying to said surface a thin layer or film of a composition comprising a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative curable by application thereto of thermal or infra-red (IR) energy;

(c) supplying sufficient thermal or IR energy to said thin layer or film to achieve a temperature sufficient to initiate curing reaction of said polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative to provide networking or cross-linking polymerization thereof; and

(d) continuing said supplying of said thermal or IR energy for an interval sufficient to achieve a networked or cross-linked polymeric lubricant thin film having a desired bonded lubricant thickness and/or water contact angle.

6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a data/information storage and retrieval medium as said substrate.

7. The method as in claim 6 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a disk-shaped magnetic or magneto-optical (MO) medium as said substrate.

8. The method as in claim 7 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a disk-shaped magnetic or magneto-optical (MO) medium as said substrate, wherein said substrate surface comprises a layer of a carbon (C)-based protective overcoat material.

9. The method as in claim 5 , wherein:

step (b) comprises applying to said surface a thin layer or film of a composition comprising a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative comprised of a generally linear perfluoropolyether chain with a reactive moiety or functional group at each end of said chain which undergoes said curing reaction by said supplying of thermal or IR energy to form said networked or cross-linked polymer of said perfluoropolyether derivative.

10. The method as in claim 9 , wherein:

step (b) comprises applying to said surface a thin layer or film of a composition comprising a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative wherein said generally linear perfluoropolyether chain comprises a plurality of —(C x F 2x O) n —repeating units, wherein x in each unit is independently an integer from about 1 to about 10 and n is an integer from about 10 to about 30.

11. The method as in claim 9 , wherein:

step (b) comprises applying to said surface a thin layer or film of a composition comprising a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative wherein each of said reactive moieties or functional groups is selected from the group consisting of acrylate, methacrylate, styrene, α-methyl styrene, and vinyl ester moieties or functional groups.

12. The method as in claim 5 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a disk-shaped magnetic or magneto-optical (MO) medium as said substrate, wherein said substrate surface comprises a layer of a carbon (C)-based protective overcoat material; and

step (b) comprises applying to said surface a thin layer or film of a composition comprising a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative with a generally linear perfluoropolyether chain having a reactive acrylate moiety or functional group at each end of said chain, with the following structural formula:

H 2 C═CH—COOH 2 CF 2 C—(—O—CF 2 CF 2 —) q —(—O—CF 2 —) p —O—CF 2 CH 2 OOC—CH═CH 2 ,

wherein the q/p ratio is between about 0.5 and about 1.5.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein:

step (c) comprises supplying sufficient thermal energy to said thin layer or film to achieve an elevated temperature from about 60 to about 180° C., or step (c) comprises supplying sufficient IR energy to said thin layer or film to achieve an elevated temperature below about 120° C.

14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein:

step (c) comprises supplying thermal energy; and

step (d) comprises continuing said supplying of said thermal energy for from about 1 to about 20 hrs.

15. The method as in claim 13 , wherein:

step (c) comprises supplying IR energy; and

step (d) comprises continuing said supplying of said IR energy for from about 1 to about 8 min.

16. A data/information storage and retrieval medium, comprising:

(a) a substrate including a surface; and

(b) a thin layer or film of an in situ networked or cross-linked polymeric lubricant thin film bonded to said surface, said thin layer or film of polymeric lubricant obtained from a polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative, wherein said polymerizable perfluoropolyether comprises a generally linear perfluoropolyether chain with a reactive moiety or functional group, at each end of said chain which undergoes reaction upon said supplying of thermal or IR energy to form a networked or cross-linked polymer of said perfluoropolyether derivative, wherein each of said reactive moieties or functional groups is selected from the group consisting of styrene, α-methyl styrene, and vinyl ester moieties or functional groups.

17. The medium according to claim 16 , wherein:

said substrate (a) is disk-shaped, comprises a layer stack including at least one magnetic or magneto-optical (MO) recording layer, and said substrate surface comprises a layer of a carbon (C)-based protective overcoat material.

18. The medium according to claim 16 , wherein:

said polymerizable perfluoropolyether derivative includes a plurality of —(C x F 2x O) n —repeating units, wherein x in each unit is independently an integer from about 1 to about 10 and n is an integer from about 10 to about 30.

19. The medium according to claim 16 , wherein the bonded lubricant thickness and water contact angle of said thin film of polymeric lubricant (b) are respectively about 10 Å and 10°.

20. A method of synthesizing a polymerizable derivative of a perfluoropolyether, said derivative being useful for forming a precursor material, which upon curing, forms a polymeric lubricant thin film which is bonded to a surface of a substrate, the method comprising steps of:

(a) providing a perfluoropolyether compound including a generally linear perfluoropolyether chain having a reactive group at each end of said chain; and

(b) reacting each of said reactive groups of said perfluoropolyether compound with another compound to form a said polymerizable derivative containing a reactive moiety or functional group at each end of said chain which undergoes curing reaction upon supplying thermal or IR energy thereto to form a networked or cross-linked polymer of said derivative.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a said perfluoropolyether compound wherein said generally linear perfluoropolyether chain comprises a plurality of —(C x F 2x O) n —repeating units, wherein x in each unit is independently an integer from about 1 to about 10 and n is an integer from about 10 to about 30; and

step (b) comprises reacting each of said reactive groups of said perfluoropolyether compound with a compound selected from the group consisting of acrylate, methacrylate, styrene, α-methyl styrene, and vinyl ester compounds.

22. The method as in claim 20 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a said perfluoropolyether compound having the following formula:

HOH 2 CF 2 C—(—O—CF 2 CF 2 —) q —(—O—CF 2 —) p —O—CF 2 CH 2 OH,

wherein the q/p ratio is between about 0.5 and about 1.5; and

step (b) comprises reacting each hydroxyl (—OH) reactive end group of said perfluoropolyether compound with acrylic chloride (H 2 C═CH—COCl) to form a said polymerizable derivative having the following formula:

H 2 C═CH—COOH 2 CF 2 C—(—O—CF 2 CF 2 —) q —(—O—CF 2 —) p —O—CF 2 CH 2 OOC—CH═CH 2 .

23. The method as in claim 20 , wherein:

step (a) comprises providing a said perfluoropolyether compound having the following formula:

 ClCOF 2 C—(—O—CF 2 CF 2 —) q —(—O—CF 2 —) p —O—CF 2 COCl,

wherein the q/p ratio is between about 0.5 and about 1.5; and

step (b) comprises reacting each chloro (—Cl) reactive end group of said perfluoropolyether compound with acetaldehyde (H 3 C—CHO) to form a polymerizable vinyl ester derivative having the following formula:

H 2 C═CH—OOCCF 2 C—(—O—CF 2 CF 2 —) q —(—O—CF 2 —) p —O—CF 2 COO—CH═CH 2 .