Hydrophobic formulations and vessel surfaces comprising same

1. A vessel comprising a surface intended to contact a liquid, the surface comprising the reaction product of at least one substantially non-branched fluorinated reactant, said fluorinated reactant having from about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and at least one terminal trifluoromethyl group, wherein the surface has a surface area populated with 15% by area or more trifluoromethyl groups and a surface enemy of about 22 dynes/cm or lower at 20° C. wherein the vessel comprises a pipette tip or a microcentrifuge tube.

2. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said reactant is a monomer.

3. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said reaction product is a polymerization product.

4. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said surface comprises a reaction product of a perfluoroalkyl ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

5. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said surface comprises a reaction product of a fluoroalkyl etylenically unsaturated monomer.

6. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said surface consists essentially of a reaction product of a pertluoroalkyl ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

7. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said surface consists essentially of a reaction product of a fluoroalkyl ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

8. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said surface comprises a reaction product of at least one member selected from the group consisting of perfluorohexyl ethylenically unsaturated monomers, perfinoroheptyl ethylenically unsaturated monomers, perfluorooctyl ethylenically unsaturated monomers, perfluorononyl etbylenically unsaturated monomers, peifluorodecyl ethylenically unsaturated monomers, perfluoroundecyl ethylenically unsaturated monomers, and pertluorododecyl ethylenically unsaturated monomers.

9. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said surface consists essentially of a reaction product of at least one member selected from the group consisting of perfinorohexyl. methacrylate, perfluorohexyl acrylate, perfluoroheptyl methacrylate, perfluorooctyl methacrylate, perfluorononyl metbacrylate, perfluorodecyl methacrylate, perfluoroundecyl methacrylate, and perfluorododecyl methacrylate.

10. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein said fluorinated reactant is substantially non-branched and has a carbon chain length of from about 6 to about 12 atoms, and said surface has an exposed surface area populated with 50% by area or more trifluoromethyl groups and a surface energy of about 15 dynes/cm or lower at 20° C.

11. The vessel of claim 1 wherein said vessel is a member selected from the group consisting of devices and apparatus with operational surfaces comprising plastic, a sintered material, a semiconductor, a glass, a ceramic, or a metal.

12. The vessel of claim 1 , comprising a surface, wherein said surface is porous, smooth, rough, pitted, grooved, cross-batched, striated, or has patterned physical features.

13. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises a porous surface.

14. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the surface further comprises the reaction product of at least one functional monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylate monomers, silicone monomers, and urethane monomers.

15. A vessel comprising a surface intended to contact a liquid, the surface comprising the reaction product of at least one substantially non-branched fluorinated reactant, said fluorinated reactant having from about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and at least one terminal trifluoromethyl group, wherein the surface has a surface area populated with 15% by area or more trifluoromethyl groups and a surface energy of about 22 dynes/cm or lower at 20° C. wherein the surface further comprises the reaction product of at least one functional linkage group selected from the group consisting of peroxide catalyzed linkages, azo catalyzed linkages, free radical induced linkages, cationically induced linkages, radiation induced linkages, vinyl linkages, methacrylare linkages, urethane linkages, epoxy linkages, silane linkages, and siloxane linkages.

16. The vessel of claims 15 , wherein the surface further comprises the reaction product of a urethane linkage.

17. The vessel of claim 15 , wherein the surface further comprises the reaction product of a silane linkage.

18. The vessel of claim 15 , wherein the surface further comprises the reaction product of an epoxy linkage.

19. A vessel comprising a surface intended to contact a liquid, the surface comprising the reaction product of at least one substantially non-branched fluorinated reactant, said fluorinated reactant having from about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and at least one terminal trifluoromethyl group, wherein the surface has a surface area populated with 15% by area or more trifluoromethyl groups and a surface energy of about 22 dynes/cm or lower at 20° C. wherein the reaction product further comprises a micropowder.

20. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein the micropowder comprises a hydrophobic material.

21. An article coated at least in part with a composition, the composition comprising:

at least one fluorinated component, and submicron particles,

said at least one fluorinated component comprising fluorinated monomer or a polymerization product thereof, said fluorinated monomer having from about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and at least one terminal trifluorometbyl group,

said submicron particles having an average particle size of about 0.3 microns or less,

said composition capable of providing a coating upon application to a surface of an article, said coating having an exposed surface area populated with 15% by area or more trifluoromethyl groups and a surface energy of about 22 dynes/cm or lower at 20° C.

22. The article of claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the coated surface has one or more characteristics of being porous, smooth, rough, pitted, grooved, cross-hatched, striated, and/or has patterned physical features.