Tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile can react with alkyl grignard reagents to form 4-alkyltetraflurorobenzonitriles. It acts as a four electron donor ligand. Tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile can be used to synthesize polymers of intrinsic microporosity. It has been used to study UV rearranged polymers of teh PIM-1 type membrane for the efficient separation of H2 and CO2.