Oxygenates as Reactive Intermediates

With world regulatory pressures on the use of chlorinated compounds increasing, the synthesis of fluorine-containing hydrocarbons from oxygen-containing substrates has received much attention in recent years. Reacting simple molecules such as formaldehyde and carbonyl fluoride over an activated carbon catalyst [90] gives an 86% yield of HFC-32 (eq 25). 

Separating the steps and reacting bisfluoromethyl ether, made from formaldehyde and HF over a Cr203 catalyst, gives 57% HFC-32 and some methyl fluoride. The approach of decomposing ethers over heterogeneous catalysts has been extended to make other fluorocarbons of interest such as HFC-134a, HFC-125, etc. [91]. 

RfCH20COCl, which is then reacted with HF, catalyzed by either y-Al203 or AIF3 to give the fluoroalkane [93]. 

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