The Effects of Structural Modifications of Bis- tert- alcohol-Functionalized Crown-Calix[4]arenes as Nucleophilic Fluorination Promotors and Relations with Computational Predictions: The Effects of Structural Modifications of Bis-tert-alcohol-Functionalized Crown-Calix[4]arenes as Nucleophilic Fluorination Promotors and Relations w

SN2 versus E2 reactions in a complex microsolvated environment: theoretical analysis of the equilibrium and activation steps of a nucleophilic fluorination

The reactivity of the fluoride ion towards alkyl halides is highly dependent on the solvating environment. In polar aprotic solvents with large counter-ions is highly reactive and produces substantial E2 product, whereas in polar protic solvents leads to slow kinetics and high selectivity for S_N2 reactions. The use of a more complex environment with stoichiometric addition of tert-butanol to acetonitrile solvent is able to module the reactivity and selectivity of tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF). In the present work, we have performed a detailed theoretical analysis of this complex reaction system by density functional theory, continuum solvation model, and including explicit tert-butanol molecules. A kinetic model based on the free energy profile was also used to predict the reactivity and selectivity. The results indicated that the TBAF(tert-butanol) complex plays the key role to increase the S_N2 selectivity, whereas higher aggregates are not relevant. The E2 product is formed exclusively via free TBAF, because the solvating tert-butanol in the TBAF(tert-butanol) complex inhibits the E2 pathway. Our analysis suggests that diols or tetraols could produce an improved selectivity.

Hydrogen Bonding Phase-Transfer Catalysis with Alkali Metal Fluorides and Beyond

Phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) is one of the most powerful catalytic manifolds for asymmetric synthesis. Chiral cationic or anionic PTC strategies have enabled a variety of transformations, yet studies on the use of insoluble inorganic salts as nucleophiles for the synthesis of enantioenriched molecules have remained elusive. A long-standing challenge is the development of methods for asymmetric carbon-fluorine bond formation from readily available and cost-effective alkali metal fluorides. In this Perspective, we describe how H-bond donors can provide a solution through fluoride binding. We use examples, primarily from our own research, to discuss how hydrogen bonding interactions impact fluoride reactivity and the role of H-bond donors as phase-transfer catalysts to bring solid-phase alkali metal fluorides in solution. These studies led to hydrogen bonding phase-transfer catalysis (HB-PTC), a new concept in PTC, originally crafted for alkali metal fluorides but offering opportunities beyond enantioselective fluorination. Looking ahead, the unlimited options that one can consider to diversify the H-bond donor, the inorganic salt, and the electrophile, herald a new era in phase-transfer catalysis. Whether abundant inorganic salts of lattice energy significantly higher than those studied to date could be considered as nucleophiles, e.g., CaF₂, remains an open question, with solutions that may be found through synergistic PTC catalysis or beyond PTC.

The role of intermolecular forces in ionic reactions: the solvent effect, ion-pairing, aggregates and structured environment

The environment enclosing an ionic species has a critical effect on its reactivity. In a more general sense, medium effects are not limited to the solvent, but involve the counter ion effect (ion pairing), formation of larger aggregates and structured environment as provided by the host in the case of host-guest complexes. In this review, a general view of the medium effect on anion-molecule reactions is presented. Nucleophilic substitution reactions of aliphatic (SN2) and aromatic (SNAr) systems, as well as elimination reactions (E2), are the focus of the discussion. In particular, nucleophilic fluorination with KF, CsF and tetraalkylammonium fluoride was used as the main model, because of the importance of this kind of reaction and the recent advances in the study of these systems. The solvent effect, ion pairing, formation of aggregates and formation of complexes with crown ethers, cryptands and calixarenes are discussed. For a deeper insight into the medium effect, many results of reliable theoretical calculations in close agreement with experiments were chosen as examples.

Nucleophilic Fluorination with KF Catalyzed by 18-Crown-6 and Bulky Diols: A Theoretical and Experimental Study

The activation of potassium fluoride for nucleophilic fluorination of alkyl halides is an important challenge because of the high lattice energy of this salt and its low solubility in many polar aprotic solvents. Crown ethers have been used for increasing the solubilization of KF during several decades. Nevertheless, these macrocycles are not enough to produce a high reaction rate. In this work, theoretical methods were used for designing a synergic combination of bulky diols with crown ethers able to accelerate this kind of reaction. The calculations have predicted that the bulky diol 1,4-Bis(2-hydroxy-2-propyl)benzene, which has distant hydroxyl groups, is able to catalyze nucleophilic fluorination in combination with 18-crown-6 via two hydrogen bonds to the S_N2 transition state. Experimental studies following the theoretical predictions have confirmed the catalytic effect and the estimated kinetic data point out that the bulky diol at 1 mol L^-1 in combination with 18-crown-6 is able to produce an 18-fold increase in the reaction rate in relation to crown ether catalysis only. The reaction produces 46% yield of fluorination after 24 h at moderate temperature of 82 °C, with minimal formation of the side elimination product. Thus, this work presents an improved method for fluorination with KF salt.

Harnessing Ionic Interactions and Hydrogen Bonding for Nucleophilic Fluorination

We review recent works for nucleophilic fluorination of organic compounds in which the Coulombic interactions between ionic species and/or hydrogen bonding affect the outcome of the reaction. S_N2 fluorination of aliphatic compounds promoted by ionic liquids is first discussed, focusing on the mechanistic features for reaction using alkali metal fluorides. The influence of the interplay of ionic liquid cation, anion, nucleophile and counter-cation is treated in detail. The role of ionic liquid as bifunctional (both electrophilic and nucleophilic) activator is envisaged. We also review the S_NAr fluorination of diaryliodonium salts from the same perspective. Nucleophilic fluorination of guanidine-containing of diaryliodonium salts, which are capable of forming hydrogen bonds with the nucleophile, is exemplified as an excellent case where ionic interactions and hydrogen bonding significantly affect the efficiency of reaction. The origin of experimental observation for the strong dependence of fluorination yields on the positions of -Boc protection is understood in terms of the location of the nucleophile with respect to the reaction center, being either close to far from it. Recent advances in the synthesis of [¹⁸F]F-dopa are also cited in relation to S_NAr fluorination of diaryliodonium salts. Discussions are made with a focus on tailor-making promoters and solvent engineering based on ionic interactions and hydrogen bonding.