Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy
Summary: The urgency to reduce hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions, particularly HFC-125 (pentafluoroethane, CF3CF2H), has driven efforts to develop sustainable alternatives. Herein, we present a method for converting HFC-125 into tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), an industrially valuable monomer for fluorop...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225008417 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849328709269454848 |
|---|---|
| author | Hiroto Iwasaki Naoyuki Hoshiya Yosuke Kishikawa Jorge Escorihuela Norio Shibata |
| author_facet | Hiroto Iwasaki Naoyuki Hoshiya Yosuke Kishikawa Jorge Escorihuela Norio Shibata |
| author_sort | Hiroto Iwasaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: The urgency to reduce hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions, particularly HFC-125 (pentafluoroethane, CF3CF2H), has driven efforts to develop sustainable alternatives. Herein, we present a method for converting HFC-125 into tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), an industrially valuable monomer for fluoropolymer production. Our approach uses potassium hexamethyldisilazide (KHMDS), optimizing reaction conditions at −50°C to achieve high TFE yields without any observable byproducts. This low-temperature method offers a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional high-temperature processes for TFE production, which involve hazardous byproducts and complex handling. We also demonstrated that various chemical reactions using freshly generated TFE, including thiol addition, trifluorovinylation, radical addition, amination, alcohol addition, and polymerization, can be performed, extending the utility of this approach. Moreover, a continuous flow process for the conversion of HFC-125 to TFE at room temperature was achieved without cryogenic equipment. This dual-purpose solution addresses both environmental sustainability of fluorochemicals and the growing demand for fluoropolymers in various industries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cfb8e08a0bec48c5b0ee9edd0309df3a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj-art-cfb8e08a0bec48c5b0ee9edd0309df3a2025-08-20T03:47:32ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422025-06-0128611258010.1016/j.isci.2025.112580Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategyHiroto Iwasaki0Naoyuki Hoshiya1Yosuke Kishikawa2Jorge Escorihuela3Norio Shibata4Department of Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, JapanTechnology and Innovation Center, DAIKIN Industries, Ltd, 1-1 Nishi-Hitotsuya, Settsu, Osaka 566-8585, JapanTechnology and Innovation Center, DAIKIN Industries, Ltd, 1-1 Nishi-Hitotsuya, Settsu, Osaka 566-8585, JapanDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universitat de València, Avda. Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, Burjassot 46100 Valencia, Spain; Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMol), Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, Paterna, Valencia, SpainDepartment of Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan; Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan; Corresponding authorSummary: The urgency to reduce hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions, particularly HFC-125 (pentafluoroethane, CF3CF2H), has driven efforts to develop sustainable alternatives. Herein, we present a method for converting HFC-125 into tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), an industrially valuable monomer for fluoropolymer production. Our approach uses potassium hexamethyldisilazide (KHMDS), optimizing reaction conditions at −50°C to achieve high TFE yields without any observable byproducts. This low-temperature method offers a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional high-temperature processes for TFE production, which involve hazardous byproducts and complex handling. We also demonstrated that various chemical reactions using freshly generated TFE, including thiol addition, trifluorovinylation, radical addition, amination, alcohol addition, and polymerization, can be performed, extending the utility of this approach. Moreover, a continuous flow process for the conversion of HFC-125 to TFE at room temperature was achieved without cryogenic equipment. This dual-purpose solution addresses both environmental sustainability of fluorochemicals and the growing demand for fluoropolymers in various industries.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225008417ChemistryGreen chemistry |
| spellingShingle | Hiroto Iwasaki Naoyuki Hoshiya Yosuke Kishikawa Jorge Escorihuela Norio Shibata Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy iScience Chemistry Green chemistry |
| title | Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy |
| title_full | Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy |
| title_fullStr | Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy |
| title_short | Repurposing HFC-125 to tetrafluoroethylene: A step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy |
| title_sort | repurposing hfc 125 to tetrafluoroethylene a step toward a more sustainable fluoropolymer feedstock strategy |
| topic | Chemistry Green chemistry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225008417 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hirotoiwasaki repurposinghfc125totetrafluoroethyleneasteptowardamoresustainablefluoropolymerfeedstockstrategy AT naoyukihoshiya repurposinghfc125totetrafluoroethyleneasteptowardamoresustainablefluoropolymerfeedstockstrategy AT yosukekishikawa repurposinghfc125totetrafluoroethyleneasteptowardamoresustainablefluoropolymerfeedstockstrategy AT jorgeescorihuela repurposinghfc125totetrafluoroethyleneasteptowardamoresustainablefluoropolymerfeedstockstrategy AT norioshibata repurposinghfc125totetrafluoroethyleneasteptowardamoresustainablefluoropolymerfeedstockstrategy |