To provide a terminal group conversion method and a terminal stabilizing method, which are capable of converting unstable terminal groups in a fluorinated polymer to carboxylic acid fluoride groups at a high conversion rate. A fluorinated polymer is heated at from 200 to 400 C. for at least one hour in the presence of at least 50 mol of molecular oxygen per 1 mol of unstable terminal groups in the fluorinated polymer, to convert from 50 to 100 mol % of the unstable terminal groups to carboxylic acid fluoride groups.

A method for producing a fluorinated polymer, which comprises carrying out polymerization in a container capable of polymerizing a monomer in a pressurized state, in the presence of at least one of specific four organic peroxides, in a polymerization medium containing at least one fluorinated solvent (B) having a boiling point at normal pressure of at most 60 C., using at least a fluorinated monomer (C) having a boiling point at normal pressure higher than said fluorinated solvent (B), and tetrafluoroethylene, at a temperature of at most 70 C. and at least the boiling point at normal pressure of a fluorinated solvent (B) having the lowest boiling point at normal pressure among said fluorinated solvent (B).

A method for producing a fluorinated polymer, which comprises carrying out polymerization in a container capable of polymerizing a monomer in a pressurized state, in the presence of at least one of specific four organic peroxides, in a polymerization medium containing at least one fluorinated solvent (B) having a boiling point at normal pressure of at most 60 C., using at least a fluorinated monomer (C) having a boiling point at normal pressure higher than said fluorinated solvent (B), and tetrafluoroethylene, at a temperature of at most 70 C. and at least the boiling point at normal pressure of a fluorinated solvent (B) having the lowest boiling point at normal pressure among said fluorinated solvent (B).

A film layer comprising a high-chi () block copolymer for self-assembly and a hexafluoroalcohol-containing surface active polymer (SAP) was prepared on a substrate surface that was neutral wetting to the domains of the self-assembled block copolymer. The block copolymer comprises at least one polycarbonate block and at least one other block (e.g., a substituted or unsubstituted styrene-based block). The film layer, whose top surface has contact with an atmosphere, self-assembles to form a lamellar or cylindrical domain pattern having perpendicular orientation with respect to the underlying surface. Other morphologies (e.g., islands and holes of height 1.0 Lo) were obtained with films lacking the SAP. The SAP is preferentially miscible with, and lowers the surface energy of, the domain comprising the polycarbonate block.

The present invention provides a polymer compound for a conductive polymer comprising one or more repeating units a shown by the formula (1), and having a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000. There can be provided a polymer compound for a conductive polymer having a specific superacidic sulfo group which is soluble in an organic solvent, and suitably used for a fuel cell or a dopant for a conductive material.

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 represents any of a single bond, an ester group, and a linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, the hydrocarbon group optionally containing an ether group, an ester group, or both; Z represents any of a single bond, a phenylene group, a naphthylene group, an ether group, and an ester group; and a is a number satisfying 0<a1.0.

A film layer comprising a high-chi () block copolymer for self-assembly and a hexafluoroalcohol-containing surface active polymer (SAP) was prepared on a substrate surface that was neutral wetting to the domains of the self-assembled block copolymer. The block copolymer comprises at least one polycarbonate block and at least one other block (e.g., a substituted or unsubstituted styrene-based block). The film layer, whose top surface has contact with an atmosphere, self-assembles to form a lamellar or cylindrical domain pattern having perpendicular orientation with respect to the underlying surface. Other morphologies (e.g., islands and holes of height 1.0Lo) were obtained with films lacking the SAP. The SAP is preferentially miscible with, and lowers the surface energy of, the domain comprising the polycarbonate block.

A film layer comprising a high-chi () block copolymer for self-assembly and a hexafluoroalcohol-containing surface active polymer (SAP) was prepared on a substrate surface that was neutral wetting to the domains of the self-assembled block copolymer. The block copolymer comprises at least one polycarbonate block and at least one other block (e.g., a substituted or unsubstituted styrene-based block). The film layer, whose top surface has contact with an atmosphere, self-assembles to form a lamellar or cylindrical domain pattern having perpendicular orientation with respect to the underlying surface. Other morphologies (e.g., islands and holes of height 1.0Lo) were obtained with films lacking the SAP. The SAP is preferentially miscible with, and lowers the surface energy of, the domain comprising the polycarbonate block.

Novel fluorocarbon polymers with a heteroaromatic group or a HPCA group are disclosed. A protonated fluoropolymer with a heteroaromatic group can be used as a cation-conductive electrolyte while an HPCA-based fluoropolymer encapsulating a H.sup.+ or Li.sup.+ can be employed as anion-transporting electrolyte.

A surfactant, a method for preparing the same and a use thereof are provided. The surfactant is a copolymer, and the comonomers used to prepare the surfactant includes at least one hydrophobic monomer with a structure represented by formula (1) and at least one hydrophilic monomer with a structure represented by formula (2).

A method for producing an iodine-containing compound includes reacting a halogen-containing organic iodine compound and a compound containing a reactive carbon-carbon double bond in the presence of a compound of Formula (21) or Formula (22). Each of R.sup.21, R.sup.23 and R.sup.24 represents a hydrogen atom, an iodine atom, or an organic group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; R.sup.22 represents a hydrogen atom, an iodine atom, an organic group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a boron-containing group; R.sup.25 represents a hydrogen atom, an iodine atom, an organic group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a silicon-containing group; and each of A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom. ##STR00001##