Fluorine chemistry — Wittig based synthesis of volatile organofluorine compounds

A simple and practical method has been developed for the synthesis and characterization of several interesting classes of volatile organofluorine compounds from fluorophosphonium salts via their in situ generated corresponding ylides. The fluorinated phosphonium ylides react with hexafluoroacetone in DMF to generate perfluoroisobutylene, whereas in the presence of bromine or iodine containing electrophiles, tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoro-2-butene, perfluorocyclobutane, and 1H-heptafluoropropane are obtained.Key words: difluoromethylene phosphonium ylides, perfluoroisobutylene, tetrafluoroethylene, perfluorocyclobutane, 1H-heptafluoropropane.