Molecular Iodine as a Catalyst for Alkene Difluorination.

The difluorination reaction of alkenes catalyzed by molecular iodine was revealed for the first time. This difluorination reaction affords a simple and practical experimental method and can be applied to many aliphatic and aromatic alkenes bearing synthetically useful functional groups, such as ester, amide, hydroxy, and aryl groups. Preliminary mechanistic studies of this alkene difluorination suggest the existence of two catalytic cycles: the IF-driven cycle and the catalytic cycle by the IF adduct.

Development of Perfluoro Decalin/Fluorinated Polyimide Core-Shell Microparticles via SPG Membrane Emulsification Using Methyl Perfluoropropyl Ether Cosolvent.

Red blood cell-inspired perfluorocarbon-encapsulated core-shell particles have been developed for biomedical applications. Although the use of perfluorodecalin (FDC) is expected for core-shell particles owing to its high oxygen solubility, the low solubility of FDC in any organic solvent, owing to its fluorous properties, prevents its use in core-shell particles. In this study, a new cosolvent system composed of dichloromethane (DCM) and heptafluoropropyl methyl ether (HFPME) was found to dissolve both FDC and fluorinated polyimide (FPI) based on a systematic study using a phase diagram, achieving a homogeneous disperse phase for emulsification composed of oxygen-permeable FPI and oxygen-soluble FDC. Using this novel cosolvent system and Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification, FDC-encapsulated FPI shell microparticles were successfully prepared for the first time. In addition to oxygenation, demonstrated using hypoxia-responsive HeLa cells, the fabricated core-shell microparticles exhibited monodispersity, excellent stability, biocompatibility, and oxygen capacity.

Halo-perfluoroalkoxylation of gem-difluoroalkenes with short-lived alkali metal perfluoroalkoxides in triglyme.

Alkali metal alkoxides play a pivotal role in nucleophilic alkoxylation reactions, offering pathways for the synthesis of ethers, including the increasingly sought-after trifluoromethyl ethers. However, the synthesis of long-chain perfluoroalkyl ethers remains a substantial challenge in this field. Through the innovative use of triglyme to encapsulate potassium ions, we enhanced the stability of short-lived, longer-chain perfluoroalkoxy anions, thereby facilitating efficient nucleophilic perfluoroalkoxylation reactions. This method provides a new precedent for the halo-perfluoroalkoxylation of gem-difluoroalkenes and offers a versatile tool for the design of perfluoroalkyl ethers, including those containing complex moieties of heterocycles and drug molecules. We also demonstrated the utility of the resulting halo-perfluoroalkoxyl adducts through various chemical transformations to valuable diverse perfluoroalkyl ethers.