Crystal Structure and Computational Investigation of an Analogue of Grubbs’ Second Generation Catalyst with a Fluorous Phosphine

Syntheses, structures, and stabilities of aliphatic and aromatic fluorous iodine(I) and iodine(III) compounds: the role of iodine Lewis basicity

The title molecules are sought in connection with various synthetic applications. The aliphatic fluorous alcohols Rfn CH2OH (Rfn = CF3(CF2) n-1; n = 11, 13, 15) are converted to the triflates Rfn CH2OTf (Tf2O, pyridine; 22-61%) and then to Rfn CH2I (NaI, acetone; 58-69%). Subsequent reactions with NaOCl/HCl give iodine(III) dichlorides Rfn CH2ICl2 (n = 11, 13; 33-81%), which slowly evolve Cl2. The ethereal fluorous alcohols CF3CF2CF2O(CF(CF3)CF2O) x CF(CF3)CH2OH (x = 2-5) are similarly converted to triflates and then to iodides, but efforts to generate the corresponding dichlorides fail. Substrates lacking a methylene group, Rfn I, are also inert, but additions of TMSCl to bis(trifluoroacetates) Rfn I(OCOCF3)2 appear to generate Rfn ICl2, which rapidly evolve Cl2. The aromatic fluorous iodides 1,3-Rf6C6H4I, 1,4-Rf6C6H4I, and 1,3-Rf10C6H4I are prepared from the corresponding diiodides, copper, and Rfn I (110-130 °C, 50-60%), and afford quite stable Rfn C6H4ICl2 species upon reaction with NaOCl/HCl (80-89%). Iodinations of 1,3-(Rf6)2C6H4 and 1,3-(Rf8CH2CH2)2C6H4 (NIS or I2/H5IO6) give 1,3,5-(Rf6)2C6H3I and 1,2,4-(Rf8CH2CH2)2C6H3I (77-93%). The former, the crystal structure of which is determined, reacts with Cl2 to give a 75:25 ArICl2/ArI mixture, but partial Cl2 evolution occurs upon work-up. The latter gives the easily isolated dichloride 1,2,4-(Rf8CH2CH2)2C6H3ICl2 (89%). The relative thermodynamic ease of dichlorination of these and other iodine(I) compounds is probed by DFT calculations.

Synthesis and applications of fluorous phosphines

The synthesis, some of the properties and the applications of fluorous phosphines in biphasic, organometallic and organo-catalysis were reviewed.

Synthesis of cyclopolyolefins via ruthenium catalyzed ring-expansion metathesis polymerization

Polymers exhibiting cyclic topology have attracted great interest over the past 30 years. Macrocycles or cyclopolymers with more than 20 repeating monomer units are considered exceptional candidates for thermoplastic engineering application due to unique properties in comparison to their linear analogues including large hydrodynamic radii and functional group density, heat resistance, good insulating ability and low intrinsic viscosity. Cyclic polymers are thus expected to exhibit improved physical and mechanical properties for certain applications due to the absence of end groups. Although synthetic challenges have historically limited research on cyclic polymers, recent developments in ruthenium catalyzed ring-expansion metathesis polymerization (REMP) have enabled the synthesis and the preliminary investigation of structure-property relationships of high molecular weight macrocycles. In REMP reactions the polymer formation is proposed to proceed through a transient macrocyclic complex in which both ends of the growing polymer chain remain attached to the Ru center. This article summarizes the recent discoveries on the field of REMP assisted cyclopolymer based material development.

New media for classical coordination chemistry: phase transfer of Werner and related polycations into highly nonpolar fluorous solvents

Optimized procedures for the previously reported conversions of 1,3-diiodobenzene and perfluorohexyliodide (Rf6I; copper, DMSO, 140 °C) to 1,3-C6H4(Rf6)2 (3; 86-70%) and 3 to Br(3,5-C6H3(Rf6)2 (2; NBS, H2SO4/CF3CO2H; 88-75%) are described. The latter is converted (t-BuLi, BCl3) to the "fluorous BArf" salt NaB(3,5-C6H3(Rf6)2)4 (1 or NaBArf6; 77-70%), as given earlier. When orange aqueous solutions of [Co(en)3]Cl3 (en = ethylenediamine) are treated with perfluoro(methylcyclohexane) (PFMC) solutions of 1 (1:3 mol ratio), the aqueous phase decolorizes and [Co(en)3](BArf6)3 can be isolated from the fluorous phase (96%). Similar reactions with the trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine analogue [Co(R,R-chxn)3]Cl3 and [Ru(bipy)3]Cl2 give [Co-(R,R-chxn)3](BArf6)3 (92%) and [Ru(bipy)3](BArf6)2 (95%). All of these salts are isolated as hydrates and exhibit toluene/PFMC partition coefficients of ≤1:≥99, establishing that the anion BArf6(-) can efficiently transport polar polycations into highly nonpolar fluorous phases. When equal volumes of CH2Cl2 and PFMC are charged with the "nonfluorous" BArf (B(3,5-C6H3-(CF3)2)4) salt [Co(en)3](BArf)3 and 3.0 equiv of the fluorous salt NaBArf6, the cobalt trication partitions predominantly into the fluorous phase (64:36). The arene 2 crystallizes in a polar space group (tetragonal, I4, Z = 8) with fluorous and nonfluorous domains and all eight bromine atoms located essentially on one face of the unit cell.