Stereochemistry of nucleophilic additions to hexafluoro-2-butyne

Base-catalysed additions of alcohols to F-2-butyne (1) give mainly products of $\text{trans}$-addition while $\text{cis}$-addition predominates in uncatalysed additions of alcohols carried out in a diluent. The stereochemistry of addition of diethylamine is very dependent on the solvent used and $\text{cis}$- or $\text{trans}$-addition may predominate. Stepwise and concerted mechanisms are advanced to account for these observations. Nucleophilic addition of sulphur to (1) gives F-tetramethylthiophene (68%) and hydration gives CF₃CH₂COCF₃ (91%).