Studies on sulfinatodehalogenation: III. The sulfinatodeiodination of primary perfluoroalkyl iodides and α,ω-perfluoroalkylene diiodides by sodium dithionite

Using P. T. C. or cosolvents, both perfluoroalkyl iodides such as Cl(CF₂),_nI (n=2, 4, 6, 1a-1c), H(CF₂)₈I (1d), CF₃(CF₂)_nI (n=3, 5, 7, 1e-1g), and α. ω-perfluoroalkylene diiodides such as (ICF₂CF₂)₂O (4a), I (CF₂)_nI (n=6, 8, 10, 4b-4d) reacted smoothly with sodium dithionite in aqueous solution under mild conditions to give the corresponding perfluoroalkanesulfinates Cl(CF₂)_nSO₂Na (n=2, 4, 6, 2a-2c), H(CF₂)₈SO₂Na (2d), CF₃(CF₂)nSO₂Na (n=3, 5, 7, 2e-2g), α, ω-perfluoroalky-lenedisulfinates O (CF₂CF₂SO₂K)₂ (5a), and KO₂S(CF₂)_nSO₃K (n=6, 8, 10, 6b-6d) in moderate to high yields. These sulfinates were converted to the corresponding sulfonyl chlorides by reacting with chlorine in the usual way. Thus the discovery of the new reagent renders sulfinatodeiodination a practical method for the synthesis of perfluorosulfinic and perfluorosulfonic acids and their derivatives from the corresponding perfluoroalkyl iodides.