The first example of the generation of azomethine ylides from a fluorocarbene: 1,3-cyclization and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

The reaction of Schiff bases with fluorocarbene, generated by reduction of dibromofluoromethane with active lead in the presence of Bu₄NBr under ultrasound irradiation, involves the formation of fluoro-substituted azomethine ylides which undergo cyclization into aziridines. 1,3-Cyclization of ylides, generated from N-arylimines of benzaldehyde, proceeds stereoselectively. When carrying out the reaction of Schiff bases with fluorocarbene in the presence of dimethyl maleate or dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, the products of dehydrofluorination of the primary adducts of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of fluoro-substituted azomethine ylides to multiple bonds of dipolarophiles were obtained. In the case of the reaction of N-alkylimines of benzaldehyde the cycloaddition of ylides to dimethyl maleate completely suppressed the cyclization to aziridines.