Mike Ahrens

Competing reaction pathways of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene at rhodium hydrido, silyl and germyl complexes: C–F bond activation versus hydrogermylation

The reaction of the silyl complex [Rh{Si(OEt)3}(PEt3)3] (1) with 3,3,3-trifluoropropene afforded the rhodium complex [Rh(CH2CHCF3){Si(OEt)3}(PEt3)2] (2) which features a bonded fluorinated olefin. In contrast the rhodium hydrido complex [Rh(H)(PEt3)3] (3) yielded on treatment with 3,3,3-trifluoropropene in the presence of a base the fluorido complex [Rh(F)(PEt3)3] (4) together with 1,1-difluoro-1-propene by C-F bond activation. At low temperature the intermediate fac-[Rh(H)(CH2CHCF3)(PEt3)3] (5) was detected by NMR spectroscopy. The germyl complex [Rh(GePh3)(PEt3)3] (6) reacted also with 3,3,3-trifluoropropene by C-F bond activation affording again the fluorido complex [Rh(F)(PEt3)3] (4) as well as the (3,3-difluoroallyl)triphenylgermane 7. The catalytic hydrogermylation of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene in the presence of various germanium hydrides under mild conditions was developed by employing complex 6 as a catalyst. The molecular structures of both germane derivatives (3,3-difluoroallyl)triphenylgermane 7 and 1,1,1-trifluoropropane-3-triphenylgermane 8 were determined by X-ray crystallography.

Activation of SF6 at Platinum Complexes: Formation of SF3 Derivatives and Their Application in Deoxyfluorination Reactions

The activation of SF6 at [Pt(PR3 )2 ] R=Cy, iPr complexes in the presence of PR3 led selectively and in an unprecedented reaction route to the generation of the SF3 complexes trans-[Pt(F)(SF3 )(PR3 )2 ]. These can also be synthesized from SF4 and the SF2 derivative trans-[Pt(F)(SF2 )(PCy3 )2 ][BF4 ] was characterized by X-ray crystallography. trans-[Pt(F)(SF3 )(PR3 )2 ] complexes are useful tools for deoxyfluorination reactions and novel fluorido complexes bearing a SOF ligand are formed. Based on these studies a process for the deoxyfluorination of ketones was developed with SF6 as fluorinating agent.

Activation of Chlorinated Methanes at the Surface of Nanoscopic Lewis Acidic Aluminum Fluorides

We report on the activation of chlorinated methanes by the heterogeneous catalysts aluminum chlorofluoride (ACF) and high‐surface aluminum fluoride (HS‐AlF3) under moderate conditions. For comparison, chlorinated toluenes and 1,2‐dichloroethane were also tested. The strong Lewis acids are able to promote the cleavage of C−Cl bonds in the presence of Et3SiH. The C−Cl bonds were converted into C−H bonds through hydrodechlorination reactions or, in the presence of benzene, into C−C bonds through Friedel–Crafts type reactions. The catalytic reactions show high conversions.