Decarboxylative fluorination of tertiary β-keto carboxylic acids was performed using
an electrophilic fluorinating reagent. The reaction proceeded in the absence of a
catalyst or base to yield the corresponding α-fluoroketones with tertiary fluorocarbons
in good to high yields. Considering that the α-fluorination of asymmetrical ketones
often causes problems with the regioselectivity between the α- and α′-positions,
this method could be a good alternative to the α-fluorination of simple ketones for
the synthesis of tertiary fluoroketones.
Key words
fluorination - decarboxylation - α-fluoroketones - noncatalytic reaction - tertiary
fluorides