Trifluoroacetic acid methylester

A suspension of potassiumperoxodisulfate in a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid anhydride at a methane pressure of 20-30 atmospheres methane and 80-100 °C in the presence of catalytic amounts of 18 and 20 leads to the formation of the trifluoroacetic acid methylester. Scheme 23 shows the oxidative character of the reaction which formally can be described as CH4 [CH3]" -1- H -l- 2e". 

For the catalytic functionalization of methane 0.21 mmol of compoimd 18 and 100 equivalents K2S2O8 are suspended in a mixture of 60 mL trifluoroacetic acid and 10 mL trifluoroacetic acid anhydride and are transferred into an autoclave. With an initial methane pressure of 20 atmospheres and a temperature of 80 °C the only product is trifluoroacetic acid methylester (510% yield relative to palladium). 

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