Polymerizations of ethylenic monomers initiated by superacids—II: Complexation of some trifluoromethanesulphonates by their conjugate acid

Ionic trifluoromethanesulphonates (triflates) are strongly solvated with their conjugate acid in dichloromethane (Ph₃C⁺, n-Bu₄N⁺, Ag⁺) and acetonitrile (Na⁺, Ag⁺). A ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR study of the chemical shifts of various acid-salt mixtures show that in CH₂Cl₂ three homoconjugates A^? · HA, A^?. (HA)₂ and A^?(HA)₃ were formed with large formation constants whereas in acctonitrile only the 1:1 homoconjugate was formed with an equilibrium constant K₁ ～ 4 1 · M^?1. This result explains why the protonation by CF₃SO₃H of non-polymerizable olefins such as 1,1-diphenylethylene and 3-phenylindene is always incomplete ($\text{1}\text{3}$ and $\text{1}\text{2}$ respectively) in CH₂Cl₂. Conditions in which covalent triflates could be obtained have been investigated. As a consequence of homoconjugation, reaction of Ph₃COH with triflic anhydride led to Ph₃C⁺ CF₃SO^?₃ HOSO₂CF₃. Other tertiary alcohols were dehydrated by triflic anhydride and led to ethylenic compounds (1,1-diphenylethanol) or ethers (2-phenyl 2-propanol). Esters were only observed in the case of benzyltriflate (at ?20°) and in the case of 1-phenylethyltriflate which is a model of polystyryltriflate (stable at room temperature).