Perfluoropyridine: Discovery,Chemistry, and Applications in Polymers and Material Science

Perfluoropyridine (PFPy) is an organofluorine compound that has been employed for a variety of applications, from straightforward chemical synthesis to more advanced functions, such as fluorinated networks and polymers. This can be directly attributed to the highly reactive nature of PFPy, especially towards nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr). The aim of this review is to highlight the discovery and synthesis of PFPy, discuss its reactive nature towards SNAr, and to summarize known reports of the utilization and thermal analysis of PFPy containing fluoropolymers and fluorinated network materials.     

First Example of Fluorinated Phenanthroline Diamides: Synthesis,Structural Study,and Complexation with Lanthanoids

An efficient approach to the synthesis of diamides of 4,7-difluoro-1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid was elaborated. Direct nucleophilic substitution with 4,7-dichloro-1,10-phenanthroline precursors opened access to difluoro derivatives in high yield. As a result, four new fluorinated ligands were prepared in up to 88% yield. Their structure was proved by a combination of spectral methods and X-ray data. A set of lanthanoid complexes was prepared to demonstrate the utility of new ligands. The structure of the complexes was studied in solid state (IR-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction) and in solution (NMR-spectroscopy).     

On a way to new types of the polyfunctional and polytopic systems based on cage metal complexes: Cadmium-promoted nucleophilic substitution with low-active nucleophilic agents

The nucleophilic substitution of the reactive halogen atoms of clathrochelate precursors with soft nucleophilic agents was promoted by cadmium(II) ion using various types of cadmium-containing compounds. Cadmium(II) activates the C–Hal bond both by the coordination of halogen substituents to this ion and the formation of anionic forms of a nucleophilic agent with cadmium amides, that increase the electron density on a reactive site of this agent. The cadmium-promoted substitution reactions of the reactive chlorine ribbed substituents in the di- and hexachlorine-containing clathrochelate precursors afforded the clathrochelate ribbed-functionalized derivatives of soft nucleophiles [alcohols (including fluorinated ones) and aromatic amines (including the nucleophiles with electron-withdrawing substituents)] by efficient one-pot procedures in high yields under mild conditions with generated in situ low-basic cadmium(II) alcoholates and amides. The complexes obtained were characterized using elemental analysis, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, IR, UV–Vis, ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer, and NMR spectroscopies, and X-ray crystallography. The potential of cadmium-promoted reactions for synthesis of different types of organic and coordination compounds is discussed.     

One-step synthesis of alpha-chloro acetophenones from acid chlorides and aryl precursors

A direct and efficient method was developed for the preparation of a variety of substituted acetophenone derivatives from readily available arene precursors and acid chlorides. This method has significant generality and affords access to substitution patterns on aryl rings not directly achievable by Friedel-Crafts chemistry. [reaction: see text].     

RhIII‐Catalyzed CH Activation with Pyridotriazoles: Direct Access to Fluorophores for Metal‐Ion Detection

The first C? H bond activation with pyridotriazoles as coupling partners is presented using a Rh^III catalyst. The pyridotriazoles can be used as new carbene precursors in C? H activation for direct access to novel fluorescent scaffolds. These tunable fluorophores can be applied for the detection of metal ions.     

Asymmetric synthesis of deuterated and fluorinated aromatic α,α-disubstituted amino acid derivatives

We herein present organocatalytic approaches to synthesize fluorinated and deuterated α-substituted phenylglycine derivatives. Whereas the addition of diethyl azodicarboxylate to fluorinated α-substituted aldehydes furnishes chiral non-racemic compounds, the use of chloramine-T as a nitrogen source represents a rapid access to sulfamidated fluorinated amino acid precursors. Additionally, further functionalization was achieved through the palladium-catalyzed coupling of a p-bromosubstituted aldehyde with a range of fluorine or deuterium-containing boronic acids. Oxidation of the aldehyde function and cleavage of the protection group of the nitrogen give way to the free fluorinated unnatural amino acids.     

Wide temperature range mesomorphic behaviour of highly fluorinated 15-membered macrocycles and their open trisulphonamide precursor

The mesomorphic properties of 15-membered azamacrocycles containing long hydrocarbon or highly fluorinated long chains have been explored along with those of their open precursors. The liquid crystalline behaviour is determined by the presence of different heteroatoms or long fluorinated chains and the substitution pattern of the aryl units of the sulphonamides. The presence of highly fluorinated long chains in the para position with regard to the sulphonamide group was found to favour the formation of smectic mesophases with wide temperature ranges. All of the mesophases were studied by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry.     

Facile synthetic pathway to β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl imines and their derivatives

Synthetic approach based on mediated addition of different trifluoromethylated building blocks to selected acyclic imines giving access to a variety of β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl imines are elaborated. A reaction between fluorinated adducts and imines proceed easily giving the condensation products in good to excellent yields. β-Hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl imines possessing trifluoromethyl group and exhibiting strong intramolecular hydrogen bonding are great precursors to different β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl ketones and alcohols.     

Synthesis of benzyl substituted naphthalenes from benzylidene tetralones

A convenient and efficient synthesis of novel highly substituted dimethoxybenzylnaphthalenes, which are precursors to several dihydroxynaphthoic acids, is described. The approach involves the use of aldol chemistry to provide a number of benzylidene tetralones, which are converted to the target naphthalenes in three steps, with good to excellent yields. Grignard reaction of intermediate benzyl tetralones provided 1-substituted benzyl naphthalenes. The reported synthesis is flexible and scalable and provides access to naphthalenes having a variety of substitution patterns. These benzyl substituted naphthalenes are being converted to naphthoic acids and the bioactivities of these compounds are currently being investigated.     

Divergent Synthesis of Monosubstituted and Unsymmetrical 3,6-Disubstituted Tetrazines from Carboxylic Ester Precursors

Since tetrazines are important tools to the field of bioorthogonal chemistry, there is a need for new approaches to synthesize unsymmetrical and 3-monosubstituted tetrazines. Described here is a general, one-pot method for converting (3-methyloxetan-3-yl)methyl carboxylic esters into 3-thiomethyltetrazines. These versatile intermediates were applied to the synthesis of unsymmetrical tetrazines through Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling and in the first catalytic thioether reduction to access monosubstituted tetrazines. This method enables the development of new tetrazine compounds possessing a favorable combination of kinetics, small size, and hydrophilicity. It was applied to a broad range of aliphatic and aromatic ester precursors and to the synthesis of heterocycles including BODIPY fluorophores and biotin. In addition, a series of tetrazine probes for monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) were synthesized and the most reactive one was applied to the labeling of endogenous MAGL in live cells.     

Mild and Copper‐Free Stereoselective Cyanation of gem‐Difluoroalkenes by Using Benzyl Nitrile as a Cyanating Reagent

A novel copper‐free highly stereoselective cyanation of gem‐difluoroalkenes by using benzyl nitrile as a cyanating reagent with the assistance of tBuOLi under air atmosphere at room temperature was developed. A variety of versatile fluorinated alkenyl nitriles were obtained. The proposed mechanism involved the C?H bond oxidation, C?CN bond cleavage, and then nucleophilic vinylic substitution (S_NV).     

Electrochemical Synthesis of Fluorinated Orthoesters from 1,3-Benzodioxoles

A scalable, dehydrogenative, and electrochemical synthesis of novel highly fluorinated orthoesters is reported. This protocol provides easy and direct access to a wide variety of derivatives, using a very simple electrolysis setup. These compounds are surprisingly robust towards base and acid with an unusual high lipophilicity, making them interesting motifs for potentially active compounds in medicinal chemistry or agro applications. The use of electricity enables a safe and environmentally benign chemical transformation as only electrons serve as oxidants.     

Efficient synthesis of fluorophosphonylated alkyles by ring-opening reaction of cyclic sulfates

Ring-opening reactions of functionalized 1,2-cyclic sulfates and oxetanes with the phosphonodifluoromethyl carbanion are reported. This approach allows an easy access to fluorinated beta-hydroxyphosphonates that are building blocks in the synthesis of acyclic nucleosides. Synthesis of precursors of nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors from these alcohols is described.     

Denitrogenative Hydrotrifluoromethylation of Benzaldehyde Hydrazones: Synthesis of (2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl)arenes

Reacting hydrazones of arylaldehydes with Togni's CF₃-benziodoxolone reagent, in the presence of potassium hydroxide and cesium fluoride, induces a denitrogenative hydrotrifluoromethylation event to produce (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)arenes. This novel reaction was tolerant to many electronically-diverse functional groups and substitution patterns, as well as naphthyl- and heteroaryl-derived substrates. Advantages of this process include the easy access to hydrazone precursors on a large scale, speed and operational simplicity, and being transition metal-free.     

Organosilicon Polymers—Synthesis,Architecture, Reactivity and Applications

Tailoring of polysilanes with given architectures and reactivities is a great challenge in the field of SiC pre-ceramic polymers. This paper reviews recent polysilane and related copolymer synthesis reactions. It is shown that the Wurtz-type polymerization of dichloro-, trichloro- or tetrachloro-silanes, so far the most extensively studied, enables access to a large variety of architectures ranging from one- to three-dimensional (3D) topologies, and based on secondary >SiR₂, tertiary RSi(Si)₃ or quaternary Si(Si)₄ silicon units in the polymer backbone. These polysilanes usually present an intrinsic low reactivity, detrimental for fiber processing. Examples are given to illustrate how this reactivity can be increased by secondary substitution reactions, which create reactive entities that can favor further crosslinking reactions. Secondly a novel route involving heterogeneously catalyzed disproportionation of chloromethyldisilanes, developed in our laboratory, is reviewed which offers a direct access to polysilyne-type 3D architecture constituted by arrangements of fused rings. The Lewis-base catalyzed disproportionation mechanism is discussed and seems to involve donor-stabilized silylenes as key intermediates in the polymer formation process. The experimental results are supported by ab-initio quantum chemical calculations. Silylenes attack the Si sites of higher functionality causing a high regioselectivity for the exclusive formation of branched oligosilanes. The oligomers undergo thermally induced branching and crosslinking reactions leading to poly(chloromethylsilane)s. Obviously, there are analogies to the oligomer and polymer formation of the transition-metal complex catalyzed dehydropolymerzation of methyldisilanes. Poly(chloromethylsilane)s exhibit a high reactivity due to the presence of Si–Cl bonds. Disproportionation of chloromethyldisilanes in presence of olefins such as styrene provides promising polymer precursors for SiC fibers. Their rheological properties have been investigated for various styrene contents. The polymer fibers spun from melt are cured under ammonia, and then pyrolyzed to silicon carbide fibers, showing temperature resistance up to 1500 °C. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Indolyne experimental and computational studies: synthetic applications and origins of selectivities of nucleophilic additions

Efficient syntheses of 4,5-, 5,6-, and 6,7-indolyne precursors beginning from commercially available hydroxyindole derivatives are reported. The synthetic routes are versatile and allow access to indolyne precursors that remain unsubstituted on the pyrrole ring. Indolynes can be generated under mild fluoride-mediated conditions, trapped by a variety of nucleophilic reagents, and used to access a number of novel substituted indoles. Nucleophilic addition reactions to indolynes proceed with varying degrees of regioselectivity; distortion energies control regioselectivity and provide a simple model to predict the regioselectivity in the nucleophilic additions to indolynes and other unsymmetrical arynes. This model has led to the design of a substituted 4,5-indolyne that exhibits enhanced nucleophilic regioselectivity.     

Incompletely condensed fluoroalkyl silsesquioxanes and derivatives: precursors for low surface energy materials

A novel synthetic method was developed for the controlled functionalization of fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (F-POSS), which are useful as low surface energy materials for superhydrophobic and superoleophobic materials. Utilizing triflic acid, open-cage compounds were created and then reacted with a variety of dichlorosilanes to produce functional F-POSS structures possessing alkyl-, aryl-, and acrylate-based moieties. The crystal structure for an endo,endo-disilanol F-POSS compound was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The chemical structures were confirmed using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (13)C, (19)F, and (29)Si), FT-IR, and combustion analysis. Dynamic contact angle measurements of these compounds were taken with water and hexadecane. These novel structures were found to possess excellent wetting-resistant behavior, similar to that of the parent F-POSS compound. They are the first well-defined fluorinated nano-building blocks with a controlled level of reactive functionality for the development of new superhydrophobic and superoleophobic materials.     

The use of 19F NMR and mass spectrometry for the elucidation of novel fluorinated acids and atmospheric fluoroacid precursors evolved in the thermolysis of fluoropolymers

Fluoropolymers are widely used in industry and consumer products. At the thermal limit of their stability (e.g. > 260 degrees C for PTFE) numerous studies have reported a variety of thermolysis products produced upon polymer breakdown. In the current investigations our objective was to expand the knowledge of these products by advancing the techniques used to obtain their identity. The use of 19F NMR to compliment derivatization with GC-MS has been shown to facilitate the identification of novel fluorinated species, in particular fluorinated acids, that had, until recently, gone previously unreported for the thermal decomposition of fluorinated polymers using traditional techniques. The polymers chosen for the decomposition studies were poly(tetrafluoroethylene), poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene), poly(ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene perfluoropropyl ether) which cover the three major classes of industrially produced fluoro-polymer, co-polymer and elastomer. The use of 1D 19F and 2D 19F-19F correlation spectroscopy (COSY) NMR allowed for the observation of polyfluorinated acids and their atmospheric precursors. This in turn allowed the modification of GC-MS procedures to verify these NMR findings. NMR results also showed a plethora of unidentified and previously unreported materials, thermolysis products that await characterization.     

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of fluorinated aromatic pyrazol-5-ols via capture of active tautomers

An efficient palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of fluorinated aromatic pyrazol-5-ols has been developed via capture of the active tautomers. A wide variety of 2,5-disubstituted and 2,4,5-trisubstituted pyrazolidinones have been synthesized with up to 96% and 95% ee, respectively. The hydrogenation pathway includes Brønsted acid promoted tautomerization of pyrazol-5-ols and Pd-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of the active tautomer.     

Divergent Synthesis of Monosubstituted and Unsymmetrical 3,6‐Disubstituted Tetrazines from Carboxylic Ester Precursors

Since tetrazines are important tools to the field of bioorthogonal chemistry, there is a need for new approaches to synthesize unsymmetrical and 3‐monosubstituted tetrazines. Described here is a general, one‐pot method for converting (3‐methyloxetan‐3‐yl)methyl carboxylic esters into 3‐thiomethyltetrazines. These versatile intermediates were applied to the synthesis of unsymmetrical tetrazines through Pd‐catalyzed cross‐coupling and in the first catalytic thioether reduction to access monosubstituted tetrazines. This method enables the development of new tetrazine compounds possessing a favorable combination of kinetics, small size, and hydrophilicity. It was applied to a broad range of aliphatic and aromatic ester precursors and to the synthesis of heterocycles including BODIPY fluorophores and biotin. In addition, a series of tetrazine probes for monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) were synthesized and the most reactive one was applied to the labeling of endogenous MAGL in live cells.