Marina I. Struchkova

Reactions of Difluorocarbene with Organozinc Reagents

Reactions of difluorocarbene with benzyl and alkylzinc halides leading to fluorinated organozinc species have been described. The generated α-difluorinated organozinc reagents are reasonably stable in solution and can be quenched with external electrophiles (iodine, bromine, proton), affording compounds containing the CF(2) fragment.

Difluoromethylene Phosphabetaine as an Equivalent of Difluoromethyl Carbanion

A method for nucleophilic difluoromethylation of reactive Michael acceptors, aldehydes, and azomethines is described. The reaction is performed using the readily available and air-stable reagent difluoromethylene phosphabetaine. The process involves interaction of an electrophilic substrate with in situ generated difluorinated phosphonium ylide followed by hydrolysis of the carbon-phosphorus bond under mild conditions.

Difluoro(trimethylsilyl)acetonitrile: synthesis and fluoroalkylation reactions.

A new silicon reagent, difluoro(trimethylsilyl)acetonitrile, was prepared by insertion of difluorocarbene into silyl cyanide. The obtained silane served as a good cyanodifluoromethylating reagent toward aldehydes, N-tosylimines, N-alkylimines, and enamines under basic or acidic conditions.

Difluorohomologation of Ketones

A method for the homologation of ketones with the CF2 fragment is described. The reaction involves silylation, room-temperature difluorocyclopropanation of silyl enol ethers, and selective ring opening of cyclopropanes under acidic conditions. The whole three-step sequence is conveniently performed in a one-pot mode.

Novel Highly Energetic Pyrazoles: N-Trinitromethyl-Substituted Nitropyrazoles.

A new family of energetic compounds, nitropyrazoles bearing a trinitromethyl moiety at the nitrogen atom of the heterocycle, was designed. The desirable high-energy dense oxidizers 3,4-dinitro- and 3,5-dinitro-1-(trinitromethyl)pyrazoles were synthesized in good yields by destructive nitration of the corresponding 1-acetonylpyrazoles. All of the prepared compounds were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy, as well as by elemental analysis. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies show remarkably high density. Impact sensitivity tests and thermal stability measurements were also performed. All of the pyrazoles possess positive calculated heats of formation and exhibit promising energetic performance that is the range of 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine and pentaerythritol tetranitrate. The new pyrazoles exhibit positive oxygen balance and are promising candidates for new environmentally benign energetic materials.

Ionic Liquids as Unique Solvents in One‐Pot Synthesis of 4‐(N,2,2,2‐Tetranitroethylamino)‐3‐R‐Furazans

An efficient two-step one-pot protocol for the synthesis of N-nitrated trinitroethylamino furazans in an ionic liquid has been developed involving the condensation of aminofurazans with trinitroethanol and the N-nitration of an intermediate Mannich base. Trinitroethylnitramino derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. A role of the N,2,2,2-tetranitroethylamino group for stabilization of the high-density crystal-packing motif is described. The performance calculations gave detonation pressures and velocities for the furazan derivatives in a range of about 31-36 GPa and 8330-8745 ms(-1), respectively, which makes them competitive energetic materials. Furthermore, due to the positive oxygen balance, the compounds could be potential oxidizers for energetic formulations.

Reactions of Sulfur- and Phosphorus-Substituted Fluoroalkylating Silicon Reagents with Imines and Enamines under Acidic Conditions

Nucleophilic fluoroalkylation reactions of imines and enamines with α-phenylthio, α-phenylsulfonyl, and α-diethylphosphoryl substituted fluorinated silanes have been investigated. The reactions are promoted by hydrofluoric acid generated in situ from potassium hydrodifluoride and trifluoroacetic acid. Sulfur reagents worked well with both imines and enamines, whereas phosphorus reagent efficiently coupled only with enamines.

Geminal Silicon/Zinc Reagent as an Equivalent of Difluoromethylene Bis-carbanion

A new difluorinated reagent, [difluoro(trimethylsilyl)methyl]zinc bromide, bearing C-Zn and C-Si bonds is described. The reagent is conveniently prepared by cobalt-catalyzed halogen/zinc exchange. It can be coupled with two different C-electrophiles in a stepwise manner (with allylic halides for C-Zn bond and aldehydes for C-Si bond) affording products containing a difluoromethylene fragment.

Copper-Catalyzed Allylation of α,α-Difluoro-Substituted Organozinc Reagents

A method for the coupling of organozinc reagents, difluorocarbene, and allylic electrophiles is described. The reaction involves insertion of difluorocarbene into the carbon-zinc bond followed by copper-catalyzed allylic substitution.

Nucleophilic bromo- and iododifluoromethylation of aldehydes.

A method for bromo- and iododifluoromethylation of aldehydes using bromo- and iodo-substituted difluoromethyl silicon reagents (Me(3)SiCF(2)X) is described. The reaction is performed in the presence of a combination of tetrabutylammonium and lithium salts Bu(4)NX/LiX (X = Br or I) in propionitrile. It is believed that, in this process, a short-lived halodifluoromethyl carbanion serves as nucleophile, which is reversibly generated from difluorocarbene and a halide anion.