C-F Bond Activation Mediated by Phosphorus Compounds.

The activation and functionalization of C-F bonds has garnered significant attention in the scientific community as a strategy to mitigate toxicity and environmental concerns, as well as provide new pathways to agro- and pharmaceutical chemicals and materials. Although several transition-metal-based systems have been developed for this transformation, the use of main-group compounds remains less explored. In recent years, several strategies for C-F bond activation have focused on the use of phosphorus-based reagents. In this Minireview, an overview of strategies is provided that exploits PV and PIII -based Lewis acids as well as PIII Lewis bases in frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) protocols for hydrodefluorination, C-C couplings and C-F derivatizations.

Catalytic double hydroarylation of alkynes to 9,9-disubstituted 9,10-dihydroacridine derivatives by an electrophilic phenoxyphosphonium dication.

The electrophilic pyridinium-substituted phenoxy-phosphonium dicationic salt [(PhO)P(2-(N-Mepy))Ph2][B(C6F5)4]2, is shown to be an effective catalyst for the double hydroarylation of alkynes with diarylamines to afford a series of 9-methyl-9-aryl-9,10-dihydroacridine and 9,10-dimethyl-9-aryl-9,10-dihydroacridine derivatives.

Dicationic phosphonium salts: Lewis acid initiators for the Mukaiyama-aldol reaction.

Two strategies were used to prepare dicationic phosphonium cations. The first method consists of the reaction of 1-chlorocyclopropenium salts with phosphines to obtain cyclopropenium-substituted phosphonium salts 10a-f[BF4]. Anion exchange was performed to access the corresponding [B(C6F5)4]- analogues 10a-f[B(C6F5)4], which showed much higher solubility in organic solvents. In addition, we developed a synthesis of dicationic phosphonium salts containing 2-, 3-, or 4-methylpyridinium substituents 11a-c[TfO], which were converted as well to their [B(C6F5)4]- analogues 11a-c[B(C6F5)4]. Finally, the phenoxy-substituted phosphonium salt 12[B(C6F5)4] was also prepared. All salts demonstrated remarkable stability in air as compared with their fluorinated analogues. The Lewis acidity of these salts was evaluated by means of theoretical calculations and finally, they were shown to be effective in initiating the Mukaiyama-aldol reaction.

Pyridinium-phosphonium dications: highly electrophilic phosphorus-based Lewis acid catalysts.

Using commercially available 2-pyridyldiphenylphosphine (o-NC5H4)PPh2, a family of electrophilic phosphonium cations [(o-NC5H4)PFPh2](+) (2) and dications [(o-MeNC5H4)PRPh2](2+) (R = F (4); Me (5)) were prepared. The Lewis acidity of these pyridinium-phosphonium dications was probed in Friedel-Crafts dimerization, hydrodefluorination, hydrosilylation, dehydrocoupling and hydrodeoxygenation reactions. The influence of the counterion on the catalytic activity of the electrophilic phosphonium cations is also discussed.

Perfluoroalkyl Cobalt(III) Fluoride and Bis(perfluoroalkyl) Complexes: Catalytic Fluorination and Selective Difluorocarbene Formation.

Four perfluoroalkyl cobalt(III) fluoride complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and powder X-ray diffraction. The remarkable cobalt fluoride (19)F NMR chemical shifts (-716 to -759 ppm) were studied computationally, and the contributing paramagnetic and diamagnetic factors were extracted. Additionally, the complexes were shown to be active in the catalytic fluorination of p-toluoyl chloride. Furthermore, two examples of cobalt(III) bis(perfluoroalkyl)complexes were synthesized and their reactivity studied. Interestingly, abstraction of a fluoride ion from these complexes led to selective formation of cobalt difluorocarbene complexes derived from the trifluoromethyl ligand. These electrophilic difluorocarbenes were shown to undergo insertion into the remaining perfluoroalkyl fragment, demonstrating the elongation of a perfluoroalkyl chain arising from a difluorocarbene insertion on a cobalt metal center. The reactions of both the fluoride and bis(perfluoroalkyl) complexes provide insight into the potential catalytic applications of these model systems to form small fluorinated molecules as well as fluoropolymers.

1,2-Diphosphonium dication: a strong P-based Lewis acid in frustrated lewis pair (FLP)-activations of B-H, Si-H, C-H, and H-H bonds.

A highly Lewis acidic diphosphonium dication [(C10H6)(Ph2P)2](2+) (1), in combination with a Lewis basic phosphine, acts as a purely phosphorus-based frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) and abstracts hydride from [HB(C6F5)3](-) and Et3SiH demonstrating the remarkable hydridophilicity of 1. The P-based FLP is also shown to activate H2 and C-H bonds.