Perfluonnation with fluorine

Primary alkyl chlorides are fairly stable to fluorine displacement. When fluorinated, 1-chloropropane is converted to 1-chloroheptafluoropropane and 1-chloto-2-methylbutane produces 39% l-chlorononafluoro-2-methylbutane and 19% perfluoro-2-methylbutane. Secondary and tertiary alkyl chlorides can undergo 1,2-chlorine shifts to afford perfluonnated primary alkyl chlorides 2-Chloro-2-methylpropane gives l-chlorononafluoro-2-methylpropane, and three products are obtained by the fluorination of 3-chloropentane [7] (equation 1). Aerosol fluorina-tion of dichloromethane produces dichlorodifluoromethane which is isolated in 98% purity [4 (equation 2). If the molecule contains only carbon and halogens, the picture is different. Molecular beam analysis has shown that the reaction of fluorine with carbon tetrachlonde, lodotrichloromethane, or bromotrichloromethane proceeds first by abstraction of halogen to form a trichloromethyl radical [5]... 

Frequently, the decomposition of fluorine compounds results in a product with fewer carbon atoms through loss of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or even an organic molecule Perfluonnated a-diketones undergo decarbonylanon with cesium fluoride in diglyme [90] (equation 57)... 

During electrochemical fluorination retention of important functional groups or atoms in molecules is essential. Acyl fluorides and chlorides, but not carboxylic acids and anhydrides (which decarboxylate), survive perfluorination to the perfluorinated acid fluorides, albeit with some cyclization in longer chain (>C4) species [73]. Electrochemical fluonnation of acetyl fluoride produces perfluoro-acetyl fluoride in 36-45% yields [85]. Electrochemical fluonnation of octanoyl chloride results in perfluonnated cyclic ethers as well as perfluorinated octanoyl fluonde. Cyclization decreases as initial substrate concentration increases and has been linked to hydrogen-bonded onium polycations [73], Cyclization is a common phenomenon involving longer (>C4) and branched chains. a-AIkyl-substituted carboxylic acid chlorides, fluorides, and methyl esters produce both the perfluorinated cyclic five- and six-membered ring ethers as well as the perfluorinated acid... 

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