Mechanistic investigation of vinylic carbon-fluorine bond activation of perfluorinated cycloalkenes using Cp*2ZrH2 and Cp*2ZrHF

Cp*₂ZrH₂ (1) (Cp*: pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) reacts with cyclic perfluorinated olefins to give Cp*₂ZrHF (2) and hydrodefluorinated products under very mild conditions. Initial C-F bond activation occurs selectively at the vinylic positions of the cycloolefin to exchange fluorine for hydrogen. Several mechanisms are discussed for this H/F exchange: (a) olefin insertion/β-fluoride elimination, (b) olefin insertion/α-fluoride elimination, and (c) hydride/fluoride σ-bond metathesis. Following H/F σ-bond metathesis exchange of both vinylic C-F bonds of perfluorocyclobutene, 1 then reacts with allylic C-F bonds by insertion/β-fluoride elimination. A similar sequence is observed with perfluorocyclopentene. Cp*₂ZrHF reacts selectively with vinylic C-F bonds of perfluorocyclobutene to give 3,3,4,4-tetrafluorocyclobutene and Cp*₂ZrF₂ without further hydrodefluorination occurring. In the presence of excess 1 and H₂, perfluorocyclobutene and perfluorocyclopentene are reduced to cyclobutane and cyclopentane in 46% and 16% yield, respectively. DFT calculations exclude the pathway by way of the olefin insertion/α-fluoride elimination and suggest that the pathway by way of hydride/fluoride σ-bond metathesis is preferred.