Caesium methoxide

It has been demonstrated by labelling studies that, in reactions with caesium trifluoro-methoxide, ring-opening occurs by attack at the peroxide bond [197] (Figure 8.66). 

In a recent study [175] of the methoxide ion catalysed tritium exchange in methanol of weakly acidic fluorinated bicycloalkanes (pIT ca. 20), comparison of the rates of exchange for six compounds, with ion-pair pK values determined in cyclohexylamine containing caesium ions, gave a Bronsted plot with slope (a) within experimental error of unity. The isotope effects for proton compared with deuteron transfer (feH/feD = 1.2) are similar to those observed with chloroform. The charge on these polyfluorocarbanions may also be localized on carbon [175]. 

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