Fluoroalkenes

Difluoroethanol is prepared by the mercuric oxide cataly2ed hydrolysis of 2-bromo-l,l-difluoroethane with carboxyHc acid esters and alkaH metal hydroxides ia water (27). Its chemical reactions are similar to those of most alcohols. It can be oxidi2ed to difluoroacetic acid [381-73-7] (28) it forms alkoxides with alkaH and alkaline-earth metals (29) with alkoxides of other alcohols it forms mixed ethers such as 2,2-difluoroethyl methyl ether [461-57-4], bp 47°C, or 2,2-difluoroethyl ethyl ether [82907-09-3], bp 66°C (29). 2,2-Difluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether [32778-16-8], made from the alcohol and chlorodifluoromethane ia aqueous base, has been iavestigated as an inhalation anesthetic (30,31) as have several ethers made by addition of the alcohol to various fluoroalkenes (32,33). Methacrylate esters of the alcohol are useful as a sheathing material for polymers ia optical appHcations (34). The alcohol has also been reported to be useful as a working fluid ia heat pumps (35). The alcohol is available ia research quantities for ca 6/g (1992). 

In general, the peilluoioepoxides have boiling points that are quite similar to those of the corresponding fluoroalkenes. They can be distinguished easily from the olefins by it spectroscopy, specifically by the lack of olefinic absorption and the presence of a characteristic band between 1440 and 1550 cm . The nmr spectra of most of the epoxides have been recorded. Litde physical property data concerning these compounds have been pubhshed (Table 1). The stmcture of HFPO by electron diffraction (13) as well as its solubility and heats of solution in some organic solvents have been measured (14,15). 

Reaction of perfluoroaLkenes and hypochlorites has been shown to be a general synthesis of perfluoroepoxides (32) (eq. 7). This appears to be the method of choice for the preparation of epoxides from internal fluoroalkenes (38). Excellent yields of HFPO from hexafluoropropylene and sodium hypochlorite using phase-transfer conditions are claimed (34). 

The direct oxidation of fluoroalkenes is also an excellent general synthesis procedure for the preparation of perfluoroepoxides (eq. 8). This method exploits the low reactivity of the epoxide products to both organic and inorganic free radicals. 

Perfluoroepoxides have also been prepared by anodic oxidation of fluoroalkenes (39), the low temperature oxidation of fluoroalkenes with potassium permanganate (40), by addition of difluorocarbene to perfluoroacetyl fluoride (41) or hexafluoroacetone (42), epoxidation of fluoroalkenes with oxygen difluoride (43) or peracids (44), the photolysis of substituted l,3-dioxolan-4-ones (45), and the thermal rearrangement of perfluorodioxoles (46). 

These ethers readily copolymerize with tetrafluoroethylene and other fluoroalkenes to commercially significant plastics, elastomers, and ion-exchange resins such as Teflon PFA, Kalrez, andNafton (see Fluorine compounds organic-tethafluoroethylene-perfluorovinylETHERcopolya rs EuASTOPffiRS, SYNTHETIC-FLUOROCARBONELASTOTffiRS lONIC POLYTffiRS). 

JV-Fluoro-Z -t-butylbenzenesulfanamide (Table 3a, A) reacts with t iny/lithium reagents prepared from lodoalkenes to give high yields of fluoroalkenes with higli stereoselectivity [84] (Table 4)... 

Ozonuies (1,2,4-trioxolanes) are generally obtained by the reaction of fluoroalkenes with ozone Thus, vmyl fluonde is oxidized to monofluoroozomde and formyl fluonde [23] (equation 15) The same ozomde is formed by ozonolysis of a mixture of cis 1,2-difluoroethylene with ethylene [24]... 

The products formed by oxidative deavage of an alkene depend on the alkene structure and the agent used Acid fluorides are formed by ozonization of per-fluoroalkenes in tnfluoroacetic acid [3t5] (equation 28)... 

Generally, additions of halogens to fluoroalkenes are less stereoselective than the analogous reactions with nonfluorinated systems. The stereochemical mode of addition can be either anti or syn Partitioning between these paths is determined... 

Conjugated, cross-conjugated, and homoconjugated fluoroalkenes react with halogens to yield predominantly 1,4-adducts Results from the reactions of a series of conjugated fluoroalkenes with elemental halogens are summarized in Table 4 In nearly all cases, the fraMs-l,4-addition products are formed exclusively [Il ... 

Addition of hydrogen halide across fluoroalkenes and fluoroalkylalkenes is an important route to halogen-containing fluoroorganics Both lontc and free radical... 

Fluorinated cyclobutanes and cyclobutenes are relatively easy to prepare because of the propensity of many gem-difluoroolefins to thermally cyclodimerize and cycloadd to alkenes and alkynes. Even with dienes, fluoroolefins commonly prefer to form cyclobutane rather than six-membered-ring Diels-Alder adducts. Tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, and l,l-dichloro-2,2-difluoroethyl-ene are especially reactive in this context. Most evidence favors a stepwise diradical or, less often, a dipolar mechanism for [2+2] cycloadditions of fluoroalkenes [S5, (5], although arguments for a symmetry-allowed, concerted [2j-t-2J process persist [87], The scope, characteristic features, and mechanistic studies of fluoroolefin... 

The behavior of strained,/Zuorimiret/ methylenecyelopropanes depends upon the position and level of fluorination [34], l-(Difluoromethylene)cyclopropane is much like tetrafluoroethylene in its preference for [2+2] cycloaddition (equation 37), but Its 2,2-difluoro isomer favors [4+2] cycloadditions (equation 38). Perfluoromethylenecyclopropane is an exceptionally reactive dienophile but does not undergo [2+2] cycloadditions, possibly because of stenc reasons [34, 45] Cycloadditions involving most possible combinations of simple fluoroalkenes and alkenes or alkynes have been tried [85], but kinetic activation enthalpies (A/f j for only the dimerizations of tetrafluoroethylene (22 6-23 5 kcal/mol), chlorotri-fluoroethylene (23 6 kcal/mol), and perfluoropropene (31.6 kcal/mol) and the cycloaddition between chlorotnfluoroethylene and perfluoropropene (25.5 kcal/mol) have been determined accurately [97, 98] Some cycloadditions involving more functionalized alkenes are listed in Table 5 [99. 100, 101, 102, 103]... 

With a suitable combination of electron-deficient fluoroalkene and electron-rich addend, cycloaddition can proceed by a dipolar mechanism involving zwitte-rion intermediates Like Us isomer, l,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)-l,2-dicyanoethylene [85], l,l-bis(trifluoromethyl)-2,2-dicyanoethylene forms cyclobutanes by an ionic mechanism [104, 105, 106] (equations 39 and 40)... 

Ynamines also react with many fluorinated alkenes by an ionic mechanism to give fluorocyclobutenes, accompanied by varying amounts of diene depending on the fluoroalkene [107, 108] (equation 41). 

Nonfluonnated allenes also readily react with fluoroalkenes to give diverse fluonnated alkylidenecyclobutanes [727, 12S, 129, 130] (equations 55 and 56), except for tetramelhylallene, which rearranges to 2,4-dimethyl 1,3-pentadiene under the reaction conditions prior to cycloaddition (equation 57) Systematic studies of l,l-dichloro-2,2-difluoroethylene additions to alkyl-substituted allenes establish a two-step, diradical process for alkylidenecyclobutane formation [131, 132, 133]... 

The C-F bonds in 1 fluoroalkenes and fluorobenzenes also are very strong (Table 17), but alkene k bond strengths vary with the level of fluonnabon (Table 18) Both CHF=CF2 and CF2=Cp2 have significantly weaker 7t bonds than CH2= CH2, CH7=CHF, and CH2=Cp2, consistent with other data indicatuig that tn- and tetrafluonnation thermodynamically destabilize double bonds [75] The low n bond energy in Cp2=CF2 underlies its propensity to undergo thermal biradical [2-1-2] cycloaddibons [103] (see p 767 )... 

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