Fluorination of nitriles over cobalt trifluoride and potassium tetrafluoro-cobaltate
Abstract
Fluorinations of acetonitrile and propiononitrile by cobalt trifluoride and potassium tetrafluorocobaltate leave the nitrile groups mainly intact, as expected from their high ionization potentials. Major products from acetonitrile are CH2F·CN (main) and CHF2·CN, and from propiononitrile, CH3·CHF·CN (main), CH3·CF2·CN, CH2F·CHF·CN, and CH2F·F·CF2·CN, with α-fluorination strongly predominating. Succinonitrile and fumaronitrile both give a mixture of difluoro-fumaro- and -maleo-nitriles.