Functional coatings for application on surfaces are of growing interest. Especially in the
textile industry, durable water and oil repellent finishes are of special demand for implementation
in the outdoor sector, but also as safety-protection clothes against oil or chemicals. Such oil and
chemical repellent textiles can be achieved by coating surfaces with fluoropolymers. As many
concerns exist regarding (per)fluorinated polymers due to their high persistence and accumulation
capacity in the environment, a durable and resistant coating is essential also during the washing
processes of textiles. Within the present study, different strategies are examined for a durable
resistant cross-linking of a novel fluoropolymer on the surface of fibers. The monomer 2-((1,1,2-
trifluoro-2-(perfluoropropoxy)ethyl)thio)ethyl acrylate, whose fluorinated side-chain is degradable
by treatment with ozone, was used for this purpose. The polymers were synthesized via free radical
polymerization in emulsion, and different amounts of cross-linking reagents were copolymerized.
The final polymer dispersions were applied to cellulose fibers and the cross-linking was induced
thermally or by irradiation with UV-light. In order to investigate the cross-linking efficiency, tensile
elongation studies were carried out. In addition, multiple washing processes of the fibers were
performed and the polymer loss during washing, as well as the effects on oil and water repellency
were investigated. The cross-linking strategy paves the way to a durable fluoropolymer-based
functional coating and the polymers are expected to provide a promising and sustainable alternative
to functional coatings