Tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene/trifluoroiodomethane. a specific novel trifluoromethylating agent

Abstract At low temperatures tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene (I) and CF3I form a charge transfer complex, which can act as a nucleophilic trifluoromethylating agent in polar solvents according to eqn. (1): The applicability of eqn.(1) to various silicon and boron halides R-X was tested and the following trifluoromethyl-silicon and boron derivatives were obtained in reasonable yields: Me3SiCF3 (II) , Me2Si(CF3)2 (III), (F3C)3BNHEt2 (IV).