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.