Synthesis, Reactivity and Structural Properties of Trifluoromethylphosphoranides.

Phosphoranides are interesting hypervalent species which serve as model compounds for intermediates or transition states in nucleophilic substitution reactions at trivalent phosphorus substrates. Herein, the syntheses and properties of stable trifluoromethylphosphoranide salts are reported. [K(18-crown-6)][P(CF3 )4 ], [K(18-crown-6)][P(CF3 )3 F], and [NMe4 ][P(CF3 )2 F2 ] were obtained by treatment of trivalent precursors with sources of CF3 - or F- units. These [P(CF3 )4-n Fn ]- (n=0-2) salts exhibit fluorinating (n=1-2) or trifluoromethylating (n=0) properties, which is disclosed by studying their reactivity towards selected electrophiles. The solid-state structures of [K(18-crown-6)][P(CF3 )4 ] and [K(18-crown-6)][P(CF3 )3 F] are ascertained by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The dynamics of these compounds are investigated by variable temperature NMR spectroscopy.

Pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, a sterically crowded and electron-withdrawing group: synthesis and acidity of pentakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene, -toluene, -phenol, and -aniline.

A general route to functionalized pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (C6(CF3)5) derivatives, promising building blocks for designing novel stable carbenes, radical species, superacids, weakly coordinating anions and other practically and theoretically useful species, is presented. This pertrifluoromethylation route proceeds via conveniently pregenerated (trifluoromethyl)copper (CF3Cu) species in DMF, stabilized by addition of 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI). These species react with hexaiodobenzene at ambient temperature to give the potassium pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxide along with hexakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene in a combined yield of 80%. A possible reaction pathway explaining the formation of pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxide is proposed. Pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenol gives rise to easily functionalized pentakis(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)aniline. Pertrifluoromethylation of pentaiodochlorobenzene and pentaiodotoluene allows straightforward access to pentakis(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)toluene, respectively. XRD structures of several C6(CF3)5 derivatives were determined and compared with the calculated structures. Due to the steric crowding the aromatic rings in all C6(CF3)5 derivatives are significantly distorted. The gas-phase acidities (Delta Gacid) and pKa values in different solvents (acetonitrile (AN), DMSO, water) for the title compounds and a number of related compounds have been measured. The origin of the acidifying effect of the C6(CF3)5 group has been explored using the isodesmic reactions approach.

Guanidinophosphazenes: design, synthesis, and basicity in THF and in the gas phase.

A principle for creating a new generation of nonionic superbases is presented. It is based on attachment of tetraalkylguanidino, 1,3-dimethylimidazolidine-2-imino, or bis(tetraalkylguanidino)carbimino groups to the phosphorus atom of the iminophosphorane group using tetramethylguanidine or easily available 1,3-dimethylimidazolidine-2-imine. Seven new nonionic superbasic phosphazene bases, tetramethylguanidino-substituted at the P atom, have been synthesized. Their base strengths are established in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution by means of spectrophotometric titration and compared with those of eight reference superbases designed specially for this study, P2- and P4-iminophosphoranes. The gas-phase basicities of several guanidino- and N',N',N'',N''-tetramethylguanidino (tmg)-substituted phosphazenes and their cyclic analogues are calculated, and the crystal structures of (tmg)3P=N-t-Bu and (tmg)3P=N-t-Bu x HBF4 are determined. The enormous basicity-increasing effect of this principle is experimentally verified for the tetramethylguanidino groups in the THF medium: the basicity increase when moving from (dma)3P=N-t-Bu (pKalpha = 18.9) to (tmg)3P=N-t-Bu (pKalpha = 29.1) is 10 orders of magnitude. A significantly larger basicity increase (up to 20 powers of 10) is expected (based on the high-level density functional theory calculations) to accompany the similar gas-phase transfer between the (dma)3P=NH and (tmg)3P=NH bases. Far stronger basicities still are expected when, in the latter two compounds, all three dimethylamino (or tetramethylguanidino) fragments are replaced by methylated triguanide fragments, (tmg)2C=N-. The gas-phase basicity (around 300-310 kcal/mol) of the resulting base, [(tmg)2C=N-]3P=NH, having only one phosphorus atom, is predicted to exceed the basicity of (dma)3P=NH by more than 40 powers of 10 and to surpass also the basicity of the widely used commercial [(dma)3P=N]3P=N-t-Bu (t-BuP4) superbase.

Noncyclic [10-S-5] sulfuranide dioxide salts with three S-C bonds: a new class of stable hypervalent compounds.

Phenyl triflate reacts with CF3SiMe3/Q+F- (Q+ = [K(18-crown-6)]+, Me4N+) and (Me2N)3S+Me3SiF2- to afford the first noncyclic [10-S-5] sulfuranide dioxide salts, [(CF3)3SO2]-Q+, with three S-C bonds, whose molecular structure was determined by X-ray crystallography.

Hexaalkylguanidinium and 2-(dialkylamino)-1,3-dimethylimidazolinium trimethyldifluorosiliconates and perfluoroalkoxides. Accidental isolation and molecular structure of [C(NMe2)3]+F-*6CH2Cl2.

Hexaalkylguanidinium and 2-(dialkylamino)-1,3-dimethylimidazolinium trimethyldifluorosiliconates, precursors for two stable hexaalkylguanidinium perfluoroalkoxides, were synthesized by treating commercially available bis(dialkylamino)difluoromethane derivatives with (dialkylamino)trimethylsilanes in aprotic media. With hexamethylguanidinium pentafluoroethoxide the introduction of the lipophilic and electronegative C2F5O group was straightforwardly achieved in the case of primary and secondary alkyl triflates to furnish the respective fluorinated ethers. The molecular structures of [(CH2NMe)2C(NEt2)]+[Me3SiF2]- and [C(NMe2)3]+F-*6CH2Cl2 were determined, showing in the latter case a fluoride anion octahedrally coordinated by six methylene chloride molecules via hydrogen bridges with a F...H distance of 205 pm (C...F distance 270.0(3) pm).