Stereochemical outcomes of C–F activation reactions of benzyl fluoride

• Neil S. Keddie,
• Pier Alexandre Champagne,
• Justine Desroches,
• Jean-François Paquin and
• David O'Hagan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 106–113, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.6

• an enantiopure isotopomer of benzyl fluoride to identify whether the reaction conditions favour a dissociative (SN1) or associative (SN2) pathway. [2H]-Isotopomer ratios in the reactions were assayed using the Courtieu 2H NMR method in a chiral liquid crystal (poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) matrix and

• demonstrated that both associative and dissociative pathways operate to varying degrees, according to the nature of the nucleophile and the hydrogen bond donor. Keywords: benzylic fluorides; C–F activation; chiral liquid crystal; 2H NMR; PBLG; stereochemistry; Introduction The C–F bond is the strongest