WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL (United Kingdom).
Abstract:
Superelectrophiles: Formamides were designed that when treated with triflic anhydride would be transformed into superelectrophilic amidine dications. These dications were so electrophilic that they underwent in?situ dealkylation by the triflate anion (see scheme; Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl). DFT calculations were used to determine the mechanistic details of the dealkylation reaction.