Question

Which among following compounds is used as monomer in preparation of Teflon?

• A. Tetrabromoethylene
• B. Tetrafluoroethylene
• C. Tetrachloroethylene
• D. Tetraiodoethylene

Hint:

Remember that the "fluoro" part of the name tells you everything! The official scientific chemical abbreviation for Teflon is PTFE, which stands directly for Polytetrafluoroethylene. Hence, its starting monomer block must be tetrafluoroethylene.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Recall what Teflon is.
Teflon is the trade name for Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a chain built only from carbon and fluorine atoms.
Step 2: Work backward to the monomer.
Since the polymer repeat unit is $-(\text{CF}_2-\text{CF}_2)-$, the monomer must be the fluorinated alkene $\text{CF}_2=\text{CF}_2$, which is tetrafluoroethylene.
Step 3: Describe the polymerisation.
Under high pressure with a persulfate radical initiator, the C=C double bonds of tetrafluoroethylene open and link into long chains: $n\,\text{CF}_2=\text{CF}_2 \rightarrow -(\text{CF}_2-\text{CF}_2)_n-$.
Step 4: Reject tetrabromoethylene.
Bromine atoms would give a bromine-containing polymer, not Teflon.
Step 5: Reject tetrachloroethylene and tetraiodoethylene.
Chlorine and iodine analogues do not yield PTFE either; only the fluorine version gives Teflon's characteristic inert, non-stick chain.
Step 6: Select.
The correct monomer is tetrafluoroethylene, option (2).
\[ \boxed{\text{Tetrafluoroethylene}} \]