Fluoromethylene cyanate ester resins derived from the monomer series N=CO-CH2(CF2)(n)-CH2-OC=N (where n = 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10) have been synthesized and characterized. Monomer melting points range from -8 to 181 degrees C, and characterization includes H-1, C-13, and F-19-NMR and IR spectroscopy and DSC. Purification is a critical requirement for melt processing. The thermal curing reaction is a cyclotrimerization reaction of the cyanate functional group to the cyanurate heterocycle. Physical properties of resin castings and their variation with an increase in fluoromethylene sequence length from 3 to 10 CF2 units include density, 1.77-1.91 g/cm(3); critical surface tension; 40-23 dyn/cm; refractive index, 1.447-1.382; dielectric constant, 2.7-2.3; 100 degrees C immersion water absorption, 1.67-0.68%; T-g, 84-101 degrees C; glass/rubber thermal expansion coefficient, (109/238-152/275 ppm/degrees C; and gravimetric thermal stability, 0.0196-0.0064% weight loss/min at 300 degrees C). Compared with aromatic cyanate ester resins, the fluoromethylene cyanate esters have significantly lower T-g, dielectric constant, critical surface tension, and water absorption. For low-dielectric applications, the optimum trade-off between properties and processing occurs at a fluoromethylene chain length of 6.