Generation of allylic and benzylic organolithium compounds by fluorine–lithium exchange: reaction with electrophiles

Alkylation and silylation of α-fluorobenzyl anion intermediates

Simple α-fluorobenzyl anions reacted with electrophiles such as non-activated alkyl halides and chlorotrimethylsilane. Upon treatment with LTMP as the base, fluoromethylbenzenes took part in the formation of α-monofluorobenzyl anions without stabilizing o-substituents. Furthermore, the resulting α-silyl fluoromethylbenzenes reacted with electrophiles such as acetophenone and benzaldehyde in the presence of cesium fluoride to form α-fluorobenzylated alcohols.

Practical fluorothiolation and difluorothiolation of alkenes using pyridine-HF and N-thiosuccinimides

Fluorothiolation and difluorothiolation of alkenes using pyridine-HF and N-thiosuccinimides.

Activation of C–F bonds α to C–C multiple bonds

A closer look is given to the successful approaches to the C(sp³)–F activation of benzylic, allylic, propargylic and allenylic fluorides.

Benzyllithiums bearing aldehyde carbonyl groups. A flash chemistry approach

Reductive lithiation of benzyl halides bearing aldehyde carbonyl groups followed by reaction with subsequently added electrophiles was successfully accomplished.

Introduction of fluorine and fluorine-containing functional groups

Over the past decade, the most significant, conceptual advances in the field of fluorination were enabled most prominently by organo- and transition-metal catalysis. The most challenging transformation remains the formation of the parent C-F bond, primarily as a consequence of the high hydration energy of fluoride, strong metal-fluorine bonds, and highly polarized bonds to fluorine. Most fluorination reactions still lack generality, predictability, and cost-efficiency. Despite all current limitations, modern fluorination methods have made fluorinated molecules more readily available than ever before and have begun to have an impact on research areas that do not require large amounts of material, such as drug discovery and positron emission tomography. This Review gives a brief summary of conventional fluorination reactions, including those reactions that introduce fluorinated functional groups, and focuses on modern developments in the field.

Conversion of a (sp3)C–F bond of alkyl fluorides to (sp3)C–X (X = Cl, C, H, O, S, Se, Te, N) bonds using organoaluminium reagents

A simple method for the conversion of (sp(3))C-F bonds of alkyl fluorides to (sp(3))C-X (X = Cl, C, H, O, S, Se, Te, N) bonds has been achieved by the use of a hexane solution of organoaluminum reagents having Al-X bonds.

Synthesis of allylsilanes by reductive lithiation of thioethers

Although much work in reductive lithiation has been done, the utilization of allylthioethers bearing various substituents to prepare allylsilanes has not been explored. The main reason clearly stems from the anticipated lack of regioselectivity. We describe herein the first study on the regioselectivity of the reductive silylation involving dissymmetric allylthioethers. We surveyed a broad spectrum of parameters and showed that this process displays a great dependence of the reaction conditions. We also discovered that an electron transporter, DBB or naphthalene, can cleave THF at room temperature by sonication, to generate a strong base, 4-lithiobutoxide. This feature was successfully exploited to the straightforward synthesis of bis-silanes in one pot. Examples are provided for maximizing both the chemical yield and the regioselectivity of the reductive silylation through the tuning of the reaction conditions. By changing these conditions, several allylsilanes can be selectively synthesized from one thioether.