Electrochemical Fluorination of Glycols and Esters of Dicarboxylic Acids

Abstract The electrochemical fluorination of glycols (1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol), and dimethyl or diethyl esters of dicarboxylic acids (malonic, succinic, and maleic acids) was carried out. Difluoromalonic acid from esters of malonic acid, and perfluorosuccinic acid from esters of succinic acid or maleic acid, were obtained in reasonable yields, while 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol were cleaved or underwent ring formation and yielded only small amounts of perfluoro-dicarboxylic acids. Perfluoromonocarboxylic acids and fluorocarbons were among the by-products of these esters and glycols.