Quaternary Ammonium Trifluoromethoxide Salts as Stable Sources of Nucleophilic OCF3.

The reaction of nucleophilic tertiary amines with trifluoromethyl and pentafluoroethyl methyl ethers provides quaternary ammonium trifluoromethoxide (NR4OCF3) and pentafluoroethoxide (NR4OCF2CF3) salts, respectively, in good yields. The new trifluoromethoxide salts disclosed herein are uniquely stable for extended periods of time in both the solid state and in solution, which complements contemporary reagents. Here we describe the preparation of a range of NR4OCF3 salts, their long-term stability, and utility in substitution reactions.

Pyridinium Salts as Redox-Active Functional Group Transfer Reagents.

In this Review, we highlight recent advances in the understanding and design of N-functionalized pyridinium scaffolds as redox-active, single-electron, functional group transfer reagents. We provide a selection of representative methods that demonstrate reactivity and fundamental advances in this emerging field. The reactivity of these reagents can be divided into two divergent pathways: homolytic fragmentation to liberate the N-bound substituent as the corresponding radical or an alternative heterolytic fragmentation that liberates an N-centered pyridinium radical. A short description of the elementary steps involved in fragmentation induced by single-electron transfer is also critically discussed to guide readers towards fundamental processes thought to occur under these conditions.

Profiling the oxidative activation of DMSO-F6 by pulse radiolysis and translational potential for radical C-H trifluoromethylation.

The oxidative activation of the perfluorinated analogue of dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO-F6, by hydroxyl radicals efficiently produces trifluoromethyl radicals based on pulse radiolysis, laboratory scale experiments, and comparison of rates of reaction for analogous radical systems. In comparison to commercially available precursors, DMSO-F6 proved to be more stable, easier to handle and overall more convenient than leading F3C-reagents and may therefore be an ideal surrogate to study F3C radicals for time-resolved kinetics studies. In addition, we present an improved protocol for the preparation of this largely unexplored reagent.

Pyridyl Radical Cation for C-H Amination of Arenes.

Electron-transfer photocatalysis provides access to the elusive and unprecedented N-pyridyl radical cation from selected N-substituted pyridinium reagents. The resulting C(sp2 )-H functionalization of (hetero)arenes furnishes versatile intermediates for the development of valuable aminated aryl scaffolds. Mechanistic studies that include the first spectroscopic evidence of a spin-trapped N-pyridyl radical adduct implicate SET-triggered, pseudo-mesolytic cleavage of the N-X pyridinium reagents mediated by visible light.

Determining the predominant tautomeric structure of iodine-based group-transfer reagents by 17O NMR spectroscopy.

Cyclic benziodoxole systems have become a premier scaffold for the design of electrophilic transfer reagents. A particularly intriguing aspect is the fundamental II-IIII tautomerism about the hypervalent bond, which has led in certain cases to a surprising re-evaluation of the classic hypervalent structure. Thus, through a combination of 17O NMR spectroscopy at natural abundance with DFT calculations, we establish a convenient method to provide solution-phase structural insights for this class of ubiquitous reagents. In particular, we confirm that Shen's revised, electrophilic SCF3-transfer reagent also adopts an "acyclic" thioperoxide tautomeric form in solution. After calibration, the approach described herein likely provides a more general and direct method to distinguish between cyclic and acyclic structural features based on a single experimental 17O NMR spectrum and a computationally-derived isotropic shift value. Furthermore, we apply this structural elucidation technique to predict the constitution of an electrophilic iodine-based cyano-transfer reagent as an NC-I-O motif and study the acid-mediated activation of Togni's trifluoromethylation reagent.

Synthetic access to an elusive high-temperature perfluoroisopropenyl ether prepolymer for radical copolymerization.

A perfluoroisopropenyl ether terminated oligo(hexafluoropropylene oxide), a perfluoropolyalkyl ether macromonomer for radical copolymerization, has been prepared. The synthesis was achieved through a carefully controlled defluorination of a highly unstable lithium perfluorocarbanion intermediate. Several undesired pathways were also observed by GC/MS and we report conditions for generating the desired product in 82% yield.

Radical Trifluoromethoxylation of Arenes Triggered by a Visible-Light-Mediated N-O Bond Redox Fragmentation.

A simple trifluoromethoxylation method enables non-directed functionalization of C-H bonds on a range of substrates, providing access to aryl trifluoromethyl ethers. This light-driven process is distinctly different from conventional procedures and occurs through an OCF3 radical mechanism mediated by a photoredox catalyst, which triggers an N-O bond fragmentation. The pyridinium-based trifluoromethoxylation reagent is bench-stable and provides access to synthetic diversity in lead compounds in an operationally simple manner.

Exposing the Origins of Irreproducibility in Fluorine NMR Spectroscopy.

Fluorine chemistry has taken a pivotal role in chemical reaction discovery, drug development, and chemical biology. NMR spectroscopy, arguably the most important technique for the characterization of fluorinated compounds, is rife with highly inconsistent referencing of fluorine NMR chemical shifts, producing deviations larger than 1 ppm. Herein, we provide unprecedented evidence that both spectrometer design and the current unified scale system underpinning the calibration of heteronuclear NMR spectra have unintentionally led to widespread variation in the standardization of 19 F NMR spectral data. We demonstrate that internal referencing provides the most robust, practical, and reproducible method whereby chemical shifts can be consistently measured and confirmed between institutions to less than 30 ppb deviation. Finally, we provide a comprehensive table of appropriately calibrated chemical shifts of reference compounds that will serve to calibrate 19 F spectra correctly.

Mapping Perfluoroalkyl Effects in Togni-Type Reagents by Thermolysis.

We present the thermolysis of cyclic hypervalent iodine(III) perfluoroalkyl transfer reagents carried out in standard GC-MS instrumentation. Through heating, these structures undergo fragmentation to afford perfluoroalkyl radicals F2n+1 Cn. and each reagent can be characterized by means of a threshold temperature, TIP (n). This parameter TIP (n) not only reflects the stability of the F2n+1 Cn -I bond, but potentially also carries information regarding fundamental properties of the linear perfluoroalkyl chains.

Mechanistic insight into the thermal activation of Togni's trifluoromethylation reagents.

Herein we investigate the propensity of hypervalent iodine based electrophilic trifluoromethylating agents to undergo thermally induced fragmentation of the F3C-I-O motif. For the first time we are able to observe a dissociative electron transfer mechanism using mass spectroscopy techniques to generate and trap CF3 radicals. Consistent with this mechanism, alkyl radical elimination from these reagents is in full support of an intermediate cyclic iodanyl radical and a reagent-specific temperature of maximum radical production was found to correlate with reported solution phase reactivity.

A convenient route to tetraalkylammonium perfluoroalkoxides from hydrofluoroethers.

Hydrofluoroethers are shown to alkylate tertiary amines readily under solvent-free conditions, affording valuable tetraalkylammonium perfluoroalkoxides bearing α-fluorines. The reaction of R(F)CF2-OCH3 (R(F)=CF2CF3, CF2CF2CF3, and CF(CF3)2) with NR(1)R(2)R(3) produces twenty new α-perfluoroalkoxides, [(CH3)NR(1)R(2)R(3)][R(F)CF2O] under mild conditions. These α-perfluoroalkoxides are easy to handle, thermally stable, and can be used for the perfluoroalkoxylation of benzyl bromides.

Design and formulation of nanoemulsions using 2-(poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide)) perfluoropropyl benzene in combination with linear perfluoro(polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether).

This is the first report where PFPAE aromatic conjugates and perfluoro(polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether) are combined and formulated as nanoemulsions with droplet size below 100 nm. A perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPAE) aromatic conjugate, 2-(poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide)) perfluoropropyl benzene, was used as fluorophilic-hydrophilic diblock (FLD) aimed at stabilizing perfluoro(polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether) nanoemulsions. Its effects on colloidal behaviors in triphasic (organic/fluorous/aqueous) nanoemulsions were studied. The addition of FLD construct to fluorous phase led to decrease in PFPAE nanoemulsion droplet size to as low as 85 nm. Prepared nanoemulsions showed high colloidal stability. Our results suggest that these materials represent viable novel approach to fluorous colloid systems design with potential for biomedical and synthetic applications.