A regio- and stereoisomeric study of allylic alcohol fluorination with a range of reagents

A range of dehydroxyfluorination reagents was reacted with separate diastereoisomers of a chiral allylic alcohol to explore both the regio- and stereoselectivity ratios of direct versus allylic fluorination. The allylic alcohol stereoisomers gave the same predominant fluorinated diastereoisomer indicating that the reaction proceeds with a significant S_N1 component via an allylic carbocation intermediate, which is quenched by fluoride ion, predominantly from the least hindered face. None of the reagents displayed very high regio- or stereoselectivity, although in all cases the allylic fluorination products predominated.