Carbonization of highly oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene)

Defluorination of a film of highly oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) was carried out by the action of lithium and sodium amalgams. The reaction yields a composite product containing carbon with the equivalent amount of alkali metal fluoride. This material was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The carbonized film is sensitive to surface oxidation upon contact to air. Part of the carbon in the product shows an unusual structure based on sp-bonded carbon chains. The amalgam-induced defluorination of PTFE influences markedly the surface morphology on the micron scale. Moreover, the molecular-level ordering of the precursor is reconstructed in the product of carbonization, presumably due to oxidative breakdown.