Synthesis and Characterization of 3-Difluoroaminomethyl-3-methyl Oxetane and its Homopolymer

3-Difluoroaminomethyl-3-methyl oxetane (DFAMO) was synthesized via the process of bromination, cyclization, ammonification, amino protection and fluorination with a total yield of 43% and GC purity of 96%. DFAMO was characterized by 1H, 19F, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fourier transform infra red (FTIR) and element analysis. The homopolymer of 3-difluoroaminomethyl-3-methyloxetane (PDFAMO), considered as energetic binder to be used in solid propellants and polymer bonded explosives, with a number-average molecular weight (Mn) about 3000 was synthesized via cationic ring-opening polymerization using boron trifluoride etherate (BTFE) as Lewis acid catalyst, 1,4-butanediol (BDO) as initiator and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) as aprotic solvent. The effects of BTFE/BDO feeding molar ratio and temperature of the polymerization reaction were discussed. The structure of PDFAMO was characterized by 1H and 19F NMR.