Reaction with sulfur tetrafluonde

The reaction of diethyl tartrate with sulfur tetrafluonde at 25 °C results in replacement of one hydroxyl group, whereas at 100 °C, both hydroxyl groups are replaced by fluonne to form a,a -difluorosuccinate [762] The stereochemical outcome of the fluonnation of tartrate esters is retention of configuration at one of the chiral carbon atoms and inversion of configuration at the second chiral center [163,164, 165] Thus, treatment ofdimethyl(+)-L-tartrate with sulfur tetrafluonde gives dimethyl meso-a,a difluorosuccinate as the final product [163, 164], whereas dimethyl meso tartrate is converted into a racemic mixture of D- and L-a,a -difluorosuccmates [765] (equation 80)... 

Aliphatic carboxylic acids react with sulfur tetrafluonde to give, in addition to 1,1,1-trifluoromethylalkanes, considerable amounts of symmetrical bis(l,l-di-fluoroalkyl)ethers. Yields of the ethers are related to the nature of the acids and to the reaction conditions. The optimum conditions for the formation of the ethers depend on their stability in highly acidic reaction medium and on the reactivity of the acids toward sulfur tetrafluonde Simple unsubstituted acids form the ethers only at low temperatures, whereas longer chain and cycloaliphatic acids give the corresponding ethers at somewhat higher temperatures Halosubstituted acids form the ethers at the relatively high reaction temperatures necessary for these reactions to proceed [203, 204, 205] (equation 101). 

A nonconventional synthesis of the known inhalation anaesthetic, 2-bromo-2 chloro-l,l,l-trifluoroethane (Halothane), based on the reaction of ethyl 1,2 di bromo-l,2-dichloroethyl ether with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and sulfur tetrafluonde, has been patented The reaction presumably involves cleavage of the ether linkage, followed by fluorination of the intermediate bromochloroacetyl halide with sulfur tetrafluonde, ethyl halides are the by-products [2] (equation 2)... 

Carbon disulfide gives an essentially quantitative yield of carbon tetrafluonde and sulfur on reaction with sulfur tetrafluoride at 450 °C in the presence of arsenic trifluoride as a catalyst. At lower temperature, bis(trifluoromethyl) polysulfides are formed [II] (equation 15). 

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