Plasma-Generated Trifluoromethyl Radicals as a Synthetic Reagent

Plasma-Generated Trifluoromethyl Radicals as a Synthetic Reagent 

Low-temperature glow-discharges were utilized to cause bond rupture in hexafluoroethane 11). In these experiments, the power to support the discharge was supplied by a radio-frequency discharge that delivered 25 W of power, at a frequency of 8.6 MHz, to the copper coil surrounding the Pyrex reactor (see Fig. 2). The load coil was indue- 

The reactions of mercuric iodide, mercuric bromide, and mercuric chloride with the excited species produced in the hexafluoroethane plasma were examined first, as the expected products were known to be stable and had been well characterized (13). Thus, these reactions constituted a calibration of the system. Bis(trifluoromethyl)mercury was obtained from the reaction of all of the mercuric halides, but the highest yield (95%, based on the amount of metal halide consumed) was obtained with mercuric iodide. The mole ratios of bis(trifluoro-methyDmercury to (trifluoromethyl)mercuric halides formed by the respective halides is presented in Table I, along with the weight in grams of the trifluoromethyl mercurials recovered from a typical, five-hour run. 

As might have been expected, the highest ratio of disubstituted compound, as well as the largest total amount of trifluoromethyl mercurials, was formed by the reagent having the weakest metal-halogen 

Mole Ratios and Weights of Trifluoromethyl Mercurials Formed 

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II. Plasma-Generated Trifluoromethyl Radicals as a Synthetic Reagent.. . 181... 

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