Preparative-scale one-pot syntheses of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene

Hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene, with its negligible global warming potential, is required in quantities for application in plasma dielectric etching in semiconductor industry and as gaseous microbubble suspension contrast agents in diagnostic ultrasound imaging. Three efficient protocols for the preparation of perfluoro-1,3-butadiene in 62–70% overall yields have been described. They involve the coupling of (1) iodotrifluoroethylene (ITFE) with activated copper, (2) trifluorovinylzinc bromide in the presence of copper (II) or iron (III) salts and (3) trifluorovinylzinc chloride, prepared from 1,1,1,2-tetrafluorethane (HFC 134a) in the presence of copper (II) or iron (III) salts.     

Comparison of the electrophilic and free-radical addition of halogens with hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene and 1,3-butadiene

Ionic and photochemical reaction of chlorine (Cl₂), bromine (Br₂) and iodine monochloride (ICl) to hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene (1) and 1,3-butadiene (2) were carried out under conditions that would provide product distributions under controlled ionic or free-radical conditions. Product distributions for ionic reaction of Cl₂ and Br₂ with 1 are similar and suggest a weakly-bridged halonium ion species. Theoretical calculations support weakly-bridged chloronium and bromonium ions for both dienes 1 and 2. There are more of the 1,4-dihalo-2-butene products from ionic halogenation of 1 than 2 which correlates with the greater charge density on carbon-4 of halonium ions from 1. Ionic and free-radical reactions of ICl with 1 give 8 and 2% of 3-chloro-4-iodohexafluoro-1-butene and 4-chloro-3-iodohexafluoro-1-butene, respectively. The minor cis-1,4-dihalo-2-butene products from 1 and 2 are reported when formed.     

Coupling routes to hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene, substituted-1,3-fluorine-containing butadienes and fluorinated polyenes

Hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene was readily prepared via a variety of self-coupling processes, such as Cu(0) mediated self-coupling of iodotrifluoroethene, Pd(0) catalyzed coupling of iodotrifluoroethene with the trifluorovinylzinc reagent, and CuBr₂ mediated coupling of the trifluorovinylzinc reagent. Perfluoro-2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene was readily synthesized by the reaction of pentafluoropropenyl-2-zinc reagent with either CuBr₂ or FeCl₃. Alternatively, perfluoro-2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene was prepared by oxidation of the pentafluoropropenyl-2-copper reagent with dioxygen. Cu(0) mediated coupling of an (E)-substituted ,β-difluoro-β-iodostyrene provided the first useful route to a (Z)(Z)-1,4-diaryl-1,3-tetrafluorobutadiene. Extension of the Cu(0) mediated coupling methodology to a perfluorodienyl iodide demonstrated a useful stereospecific route to perfluoropolyenes.     

The radical cation of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene: An ESR study

Two distinct radical cations have been observed by ESR in a γ-irradiated solid solution of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene in freon. INDO calculations of ES     

Quantum chemical study of the structure of tricyclic saturated hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene dimers

Results of a quantum-chemical study of the molecular structure of dimerization products of saturated 1,3-butadiene and hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene (tricyclo[3.3.0.0^2.6]octane, dodecafluorotricyclo[4.2.0.0^2.5]octane (I), and dodecafluorotricyclo[3.3.0.0^2.6]octane (II)) are presented. The calculated symmetry of the molecule of I in vacuum (C ₂) differs from its symmetry in the single crystal (C _b , XRD). The most stable of dimers (II) contains C-C bonds with a length of up to 1.573 Å and a four-atom cycle with angles of 82.3°.     

Cationic polymerization of 1-ethoxy-1,3-butadiene

cis- and trans-1-Ethoxy-1,3-butadienes were polymerized by a variety of cationic agents in various solvents at ?78°C. The trans ether, which is the more stable isomer, was found to have greater polymerizability than the cis ether. The trans monomer gave polymers predominantly of the trans-1,4 type, whereas the cis monomer showed a tendency toward the formation of polymers having the microstructure of the 1,2 type. It was concluded that, in the cis ether, the carbon atom which is the most vulnerable to the attack of carbonium ions is the one at the 2-position, whereas, in the case of the trans isomer, the terminal 4-carbon is the most reactive center. The conclusion was confirmed from the results of acetal addition reaction catalyzed by boron trifluoride etherate. The marked contrast in the mode of reaction of the two isomeric ethers toward carbonium ions was interpreted in terms of the difference in the degree of bonding in the transition state.     

Mechanism of thermal reactions of dimerization and trimerization of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene: A quantum-chemical study

The mechanism of thermal oligomerization of hexafluoro-l,3-butadiene was examined using RHF, ROHF, and GVB/DH, and by B3LYP/6-31G* and /6-311G* quantum-chemical methods. The energies of highly reactive excited states of the monomer and of intermediate biradical species were estimated. Isomeric biradicals (excited monomers and dimers) with the free valences localized on two carbon atoms were shown to coexist in the reaction mixture. Recombination of such biradicals and their reactions with neutral stable molecules give rise to diverse products, depending on the reaction temperature.     

Structures and cis-to-trans photoisomerization of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene radical cation: electron spin resonance and computational studies

The s-cis and s-trans isomer radical cations of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene (s-cis-HFBD+ and s-trans-HFBD+) were generated by a gamma-irradiated solid solution of the neutral HFBD molecule in solid matrix at 77 K and observed by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) and electronic spectroscopies. In comparing the experimental isotropic and anisotropic 19F hyperfine splittings with the computational ones by the DFT B3LYP and MP2 methods, the generated s-cis-HFBD+ and s-trans-HFBD+ radical cations were confirmed to be 2A2 and 2Bg electronic ground states in C2v and C2h symmetries, respectively. The present spectroscopic study revealed that the relative abundance of s-cis-HFBD+ to s-trans-HFBD+ was 4.0 immediately after being formed by gamma-irradiation, and subsequently most s-cis-HFBD+ was isomerized to s-trans-HFBD+ by visible-light illumination with 500-600 nm wavelength. The process of nonplanar HFBD ionizing to form stable planar s-cis- and s-trans-HFBD+ and the reaction mechanism of the cis-to-trans photoisomerization were discussed by (MS-)CASPT2//CASSCF calculated vertical excitation energies (Tv) and torsional potential energy curves (TPECs) of HFBD and HFBD+.     

The anionic polymerization of dialkylaminoisoprenes-5-copolymerization with 1,3-butadiene

The anionic copolymerization of 5-(N,N-dialkylamino)isoprenes and 1,3 -butadiene was investigated in hexane. We found that basicity and increasing amount of the polar monomer has a strong influence on the microstructure of polybutadiene. All tested 5-(N,N-dialkylamino)isoprenes were incorporated much faster into the copolymer than butadiene. Depending on the alkyl substituents the resulting copolymer is either a nearly perfect diblock or shows a considerable tapered structure.     

Kinetics and molecular weights distribution study of neodymium-catalyzed polymerization of 1,3-butadiene

The homopolymerization of 1,3-butadiene in a stirred batch reactor with the catalytic system Nd octoate/diethyl-aluminium chloride/triisobutyl-aluminium in n-heptane was studied. The effect of various reaction conditions on especially high conversion and molecular weight is reported. Polymerization is shown to be first order with respect to both monomer and neodymium. Molecular weights are high and broadly distributed. Chain transfer to triisobutylaluminium is the main factor governing molecular weight development. A mechanism of polymerization is presented with the chain transfer process incorporated. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymerization and copolymerization of 2-phthalimidomethyll 1,3-butadiene. II. Kinetic study of the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene and of the copolymerization of 1,3-butadiene with 2-phthalimidomethyl 1,3-butadiene initiated by bis-(η3-allyl nickel trifluoroacetate)

The kinetics of the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene initiated by bis(η³-allyl nickel trifluoroacetate) prepared in benzene was studied in methylene chloride at 40°C. The reaction is first order with respect to the monomer, second order with respect to the catalyst in contrast to the case in which solvent is benzene. We have shown that the presence of a polar molecule (fe, N-methyl phthalimide) decreases the overall rate of polymerization. The apparent reactivity ratios for the system 2-phthalimidomethyl 1,3-butadiene (1)-1,3-butadiene (2) are r₁ = 0.65 ± 0.006 and r₂ = 0.48 ± 0.015.     

Radiation-induced polymerization of 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene clathrate in deoxycholic acid

Poly(dimethylbutadiene) (PDMB) was synthesized through the inclusion polymerization technique, by γ-irradiation of a clathrate of 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene in deoxycholic acid (DOCA) at 75, 150, 320 and 430 kGy. The resulting inclusion complexes PDMB@DOCA were studied by FTIR spectroscopy and by thermal analysis (DTA, TGA and DTG). Pure PDMB was isolated by extracting the complex PDMB@DOCA with ethanol. The best sample in terms of purity was that prepared at 75 kGy, while the other samples prepared at higher doses suffered of DOCA grafting on PDMB chains. Pure PDMB isolated from PDMB@DOCA complex was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy and by thermal analysis in comparison to a reference highly crystalline and ≈=100% trans-1,4-PDMB prepared by inclusion polymerization in thiourea and in comparison to PDMB prepared by emulsion polymerization. A lower degree of regularity and crystallinity has been found on the PDMB sample prepared as inclusion compound in DOCA in comparison to the reference PDMB obtained by inclusion polymerization in thiourea.     

Triallylstannyllithium-allyllithium as an initiator for the anionic reversible chain transfer polymerization of 1,3-butadiene

The anionic polymerization of 1,3-butadiene using a novel metalloidal anion initiator, triallylstannyllithium (TALi)-allyllithium (ALi), was studied. The TALi-ALi initiated anionic polymerization of 1,3-butadiene gave the star polymer along with the linear polybutadiene (PBD). The star polymer consisted of three PBD branches and a central tin atom. What is striking is a fact that the number-average molecular weights (M_n) and molecular weight distribution of three PBD branches and linear PBD were almost identical. A reversible chain transfer polymerization mechanism, which includes the equilibrium between tri(macroallyl)-stannyllithium and macroallylic anion, is proposed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Determination of kinetic rate constants in electrochemically initiated anionic polymerization of 1,3-butadiene

The rate constants for electrochemically initiated polymerization were determined by employing a pulsing technique. An electrochemical titration was conducted in which polymer chains were initiated electrochemically, propagated in the absence of current, and terminated electrochemically. The concentrations of supporting electrolyte and monomer were chosen to correspond to those employed in electropolymerization syntheses. The temperature range ?10°C to ?72°C gave k_p = 1.45 × 10² exp {2600/RT}. The Arrhenius parameters are compared to those from previous studies and are interpreted in terms of ion-pair propagation. Precise control of molecular weight distributions is implicit from an accurate knowledge of the kinetic parameters and is reported separately.     

Living polymerization of 1,3-butadiene catalyzed by half-titanocene complex bearing dibenzhydryl-substituted aryloxide ligand

Half-titanocene complexes bearing dibenzhydryl-substituted aryloxide ligands(2a-2d) were prepared. Among them, 2c adopted a three-legged distorted tetrahedral geometry evidenced by X-ray crystallography. The poly-1,3-butadiene with high molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution was obtained by using these complexes as the catalysts activated with methylaluminoxane(MAO). The catalytic activities of the complexes depended on their structures. The Ti―O―C bond in the complexes with large angle afforded them with higher activity, while Cp*-based complexes exhibited lower activities than the Cp-based analogues. The activity of complex increased with increasing the polymerization temperature while the selectivity remained no change, indicating the high thermal stability. Furthermore, the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene catalyzed by 2a/MAO at 0 °C has been found in a living fashion.