Tertiary Phosphine and Arsine Complexes of Phosphorus Pentafluoride: Synthesis, Properties, and Electronic Structures

Fluoride-Ion Donor Properties of AsF5

Arsenic pentafluoride undergoes ligand-induced autoionization in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) in a SO2ClF solution to form the donor-stabilized [AsF4(phen)][AsF6] salt. Reacting [AsF4(phen)][AsF6] with the strong Lewis acid SbF5·SO2 yields the mixed arsenic-antimony salt [AsF4(phen)][Sb2F11]. These salts are the first examples of crystallographically characterized donor-stabilized [AsF4]+ cations. The analogous reaction of AsF5 and 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) does not result in autoionization but leads to the formation of the neutral 2:1 adduct (AsF5)2·bipy. The gas-phase and solution fluoride-ion affinities of [AsF4]+ and [SbF4]+ were calculated, revealing them to be incredibly strong Lewis acids. Density functional theory calculations and natural bond orbital analysis show that significant electron-pair donation from phen to the As center in [AsF4(phen)]+ occurs and quenches the extreme electrophilicity of the [AsF4]+ cation.

Electrochemical or Photoelectrochemical Alkenylpolyfluoroalkylation of 3-Aza-1,5-dienes: Regioselective Entry to Polyfluoroalkylated 4-Pyrrolin-2-ones

An electrochemical or photoelectrochemical regioselective polyfluoroalkylation/cyclization cascade of 3-aza-1,5-dienes with sodium fluoroalkanesulfinates is presented. This protocol proceeds with a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance under mild, oxidant-free, transition-metal-free, and electrolyte-free conditions to provide 3-polyfluoroalkylated 4-pyrrolin-2-ones in one step from readily available N-vinylacrylamides, and it is readily scalable to the Gram scale.

Donor-Stabilised [SbF4 ]+ : SbF5 as a Fluoride-Ion Donor

Antimony pentafluoride is a strong Lewis acid and fluoride-ion acceptor that has not previously demonstrated any discreet fluoride-ion donor properties. The first donor-stabilised [SbF₄ ]⁺ cations were prepared from the autoionisation of SbF₅ in the presence of bidentate N-donor ligands 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as their [SbF₆ ]^- salts. The [SbF₄ (N-N)][Sb₂ F₁₁ ] (N-N=bipy, phen) salts were synthesised by the addition of one equivalent of SbF₅ ⋅SO₂ to [SbF₄ (N-N)][SbF₆ ] in liquid SO_2. The salts show remarkable stability and were characterised by Raman spectroscopy and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of [SbF₄ (phen)][SbF₆ ] ⋅ 3CH₃ CN and [SbF₄ (phen)][SbF₆ ] ⋅ 2SO₂ were determined, showing distorted octahedral cations. DFT calculations and NBO analyses reveal that significant degree of electron-pair donation from N to Sb stabilizes [SbF₄ ]⁺ with the Sb-N bond strength being approximately two thirds of that of the Sb-F bonds in these cations and the cationic charge being primarily ligand-centred.