Scattolin Thomas, Pu Maoping, Schoenebeck Franziska
Institute of Organic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Chemistry. 2018 Jan 12;24(3):567-571. doi: 10.1002/chem.201705240. Epub 2017 Dec 15.
While thiophosgene finds widespread usage on a multi-ton scale, its fluorinated counterpart S=CF is essentially unexplored in synthesis. Using experimental reactivity tests, ReactIR and computational techniques, we herein showcase that the solid (Me N)SCF functions as a safe reservoir for S=CF . A key feature is that the reactive electrophile is not simply released over time, but instead is liberated under activation with a protic nucleophile. The reactivity of S=CF is mild, allowing large-scale and late-stage synthetic applications without special reaction control. The mechanism was fully elucidated, including a rationalization of the role of the Me N cation and the origins of selectivity.