Preparation of SF5 aromatics by vicarious nucleophilic substitution reactions of nitro(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes with carbanions

Vicarious nucleophilic substitutions (VNS) of hydrogen in 1-nitro-4-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzene with carbanions provide 2-substituted 1-nitro-4-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes in good to high yields. VNS of 1-nitro-3-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzene gives a mixture of 6- and 4-substituted 1-nitro-3-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes in 85:15 to >98:2 ratio and good to high yields. In basic media, the VNS reactions lead to the formation of carbanions that can be alkylated by alkyl halides affording the corresponding alkylated products in moderate yields. Transformation of primary products to substituted (pentafluorosulfanyl)anilines and 3- or 4-substituted (pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes is also described.