A SIMPLE CONVENIENT METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF DIFLUOROMETHYL ETHERS USING FLUOROSULFONYLDIFLUOROACETIC ACID AS A DIFLUOROCARBENE PRECURSOR

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-1139(00)82808-0

In the presence of catalytic amounts of sodium sulfate or cuprous iodide, a variety of alkyl and aryl difluoromethyl ethers were synthesized in moderate yields by the reaction of the corresponding alcohols and phenols with fluorosulfonyldifluoroacetic acid (1) in acetonitrile under mild conditions.Fluorosulfonyldifluoroacetate anion (5) is believed to readily eliminate SO2, CO2 and F(1-), thus liberating CF2:; insertion of difluorocarbene into O-H bonds and its capture by fluorode ion then result in the formation of ethers and by-product CF3H, respectively.