New Syntheses of Trifluoromethylethers and Trifluoromethylphosphines by Electrophilic Trifluoromethylation

• Applicant: Dr. Daniel Stolz
• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: Funded in 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 52773219

The life science industry increasingly makes use of organofluorine com-pounds. A 2005 survey of the 200 best-selling prescription drugs reveals that 16 % of these compounds contain fluorine bound to carbon. The aim of this project is to develop a new reaction for the trifluoromethylation of oxygen and phosphorus nucleophiles, taking into consideration that such reactions are still unknown. Therefore, besides the undoubtedly existing application potential of the chemistry we are going to explore, there are also fundamental aspects of organic molecular reactivity the project should shed light on. The investigations for trifluoromethylation of oxygen nucleophiles will be done with well-defined catalysts (half-sandwich compounds of iron) able to both easily form alkoxylato complexes and undergo one electron oxidations under formation of trifluoro-methylethers. Furthermore, we plan systematic investigations of the reaction conditions for the electrophilic trifluoromethylation of a series of secondary phosphines in order to establish a general route for the synthesis of ferrocene-based phosphine ligands.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Host: Professor Dr. Antonio Togni