Skeletal transformations of perfluorinated 2,2-diethyl- and 2-ethyl-2-phenyl-benzocyclobutenones under the action of antimony pentafluoride

Perfluoro-2-ethyl-2-phenylbenzocyclobutenone heated with SbF₅ at 70 °C and then treated with water, forms perfluoro-3-ethyl-3-phenylphthalide. In contrast to this, heating of perfluoro-2,2-diethylbenzo-cyclobutenone with SbF₅ at 70 °C gives, after treatment of the reaction mixture with water, perfluoro-2-(pent-2-en-3-yl)benzoic acid. When the reaction temperature is raised to 125 °C, a solution of a salt of perfluoro-4-ethyl-3-methylisochromenyl cation is obtained. Hydrolysis of the solution of the salt gives perfluoro-4-ethyl-3-methylisochromen-1-one.