From perfluoroalkyl halides

Perfluoroalkylcopper compounds, derived from perfluoroalkyl halides and copper in dipolar aprotic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide and N,N-dimethylacetamide, are rather stable. These complexes couple effectively with aryl and vinyl halides (Burdon et al., 1967, 1972a McLoughlin and Thrower, 1969). 

The reactivities of the substrate and the nucleophilic reagent change vyhen fluorine atoms are introduced into their structures This perturbation becomes more impor tant when the number of atoms of this element increases A striking example is the reactivity of alkyl halides S l and mechanisms operate when few fluorine atoms are incorporated in the aliphatic chain, but perfluoroalkyl halides are usually resistant to these classical processes However, formal substitution at carbon can arise from other mecharasms For example nucleophilic attack at chlorine, bromine, or iodine (halogenophilic reaction, occurring either by a direct electron-pair transfer or by two successive one-electron transfers) gives carbanions These intermediates can then decompose to carbenes or olefins, which react further (see equations 15 and 47) Single-electron transfer (SET) from the nucleophile to the halide can produce intermediate radicals that react by an SrnI process (see equation 57) When these chain mechanisms can occur, they allow reactions that were previously unknown Perfluoroalkylation, which used to be very rare, can now be accomplished by new methods (see for example equations 48-56, 65-70, 79, 107-108, 110, 113-135, 138-141, and 145-146)... 

The reaction proceeds via a single electron transfer (SET) from sodium tellurolate to perfluoroalkyl halides followed by a radical chain reaction of the SRN mechanism. 

The method has been further improved." Trimethyl(perfluoroalkyl)silanes RpTMS (Rp = c, -C, perfluoroaliphatic groups) are prepared by reaction of perfluoroalkyl halides RpX (X = Br, I) with chlorotrimethylsilane in the presence of tris(dialkylamino)phosphanes in acetonitrile. For example, chlorotrimethylsilane was treated with bromotrifluoromethane and tris(diethylamino)phosphane in acetonitrile at — 40"C for 1 hour to give trimethyl(trifluo-romethyl)silane in 90% yield. Bis(dimethylamino)(trifluoromethyl)silane is available from the reaction of chlorobis(dimethylamino)silane with the system bromotrifluoromethane/tris-(diethylamino)phosphane, while trichloro(trifluoromethyl)silane is prepared by nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of tetrachlorosilane with bromotrifluorornethane/tris(diethylamino)phos-phane. " ... 

Perfluoroalkylmercury compounds have been prepared by reaction of perfluoroalkyl halides with cadmium amalgam or by reaction of fluoroalkenes with mercury(II) fluoride. Due to the high thermal stability of perfluoroalkylmercury compounds, they can be sublimed from concentrated sulfuric acid without decomposition and are of limited synthetic utility. These reagents have found use as difluorocarbene sources and do react with elemental sulfur at elevated temperatures to afford thioacid fluorides, di- and polysulfides, and thioketones. ... 

The most convenient sources of perfluoroalkyl radicals are perfluoroalkyl halides, from which the corresponding radicals can be generated photochemically or electrochemically [13]. Although electrochemical activation can be achieved either by oxidation or by reduction, e. g. of perfluoroalkyl iodides, the most popular method of activation is reduction (Scheme 2.98). The reductive radical generation can also be initiated photochemically via auxiliary radical sources, such as silanes or stannanes. 

Analysis of isomeric product ratios from reactions of imidazoles with perfluoroalkyl halides has been achieved by use of F NMR <84JOC1060,90TL1279). 

Because of the radical mechanism for SET reactions, introduction of both a perfluoroalkyl group and a heteroatom moiety to the carbon-carbon double [17-20] and even triple [21] bonds is possible. The initially generated perfluoroalkyl radicals add first to olefins to form a new radical intermediate (23), which then couples with anions (22) to form new anion radicals (24). The formation of the product (25) and the chain propagation via electron transfer from anion radicals (24) to perfluoroalkyl halides constitutes a chain reaction as shown in Scheme 2.38. Sulfur [19], selenium [20], tellurium [21], and phosphorus [22] anions (22) have been employed for these reactions [23]. 

Conjugated dienes undergo hydroperfluoroalkylation with perfluoroalkyl iodides and zinc in the presence of titanium catalysts 02 Yields are moderate to good (52-74%) but stereoselectivity is low. From allylic halides functionalized on the a-vinylic position (TMS, carboxylate, phosphonate), additions to terminal alkynes provide functional dienes, used in further synthetic reactions leading to lactones and carboxylic or phosphonic esters.228... 

A diverse body of chemistry has been developed based on facile fluoride abstraction (5) or halide exchange (6) from perfluoroalkyl ligands by electrophilic reagents to afford perhaloalkylidene ligands(7). These transformations have been the subject of a recent review (8) and will not be discussed in detail since a main group electrophile is usually employed to remove the fluoride. 

Cationic fluorinated surfactants have been prepared from perfluoroalkyl esters, obtained by converting an acid fluoride into an ester. Reaction of the ester with a diamine and alkylation with a halide or sulfonate gives a cationic surfactant, for example [166] ... 

Codeposition of silver vapor with perfluoroalkyl iodides at -196 °C provides an alternative route to nonsolvated primary perfluoroalkylsilvers [272] Phosphine complexes of trifluaromethylsilver are formed from the reaction of trimethyl-phosphme, silver acetate, and bis(trifluoromethyl)cadmium glyme [755] The per-fluoroalkylsilver compounds react with halogens [270], carbon dioxide [274], allyl halides [270, 274], mineral acids and water [275], and nitrosyl chloride [276] to give the expected products Oxidation with dioxygen gives ketones [270] or acyl halides [270] Sulfur reacts via insertion of sulfur into the carbon-silver bond [270] (equation 188)... 

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