Substituted phenylsulfur trifluoride and other like fluorinating agents

1. A compound of the formula (I):

in which

R 1a and R 1b are independently a hydrogen atom; a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage; and

R 2a , R 2b , and R 3 are independently a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage; and

wherein, when R 3 is a hydrogen atom, at least two of R 1a , R 1b , R 2a , and R 2b each is independently a halogen atom; a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage; or, at least one of R 1a , R 1b , R 2a , and R 2b is a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage; and

wherein, when R 3 is a primary alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms, at least one of R 1a , R 1b , R 2a , and R 2b is a halogen atom; a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage; and

wherein, when at least two of R 2a , R 2b , and R 3 are tertiary alkyl groups, the tertiary alkyl groups are non-adjacent.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl groups having one to eight carbon atoms have from one to four carbon atoms.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl groups having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage have two to five carbon atoms and one or two ether linkages.

4. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is a tertiary alkyl group.

5. The compound of claim 4 , wherein the tertiary group is tert-butyl group.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3-chloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dichloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,4,6-trimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,4-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,5-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 4-fluorophenylsulfur trifluoride; 4-chlorophenylsulfur trifluoride; 3-methyl-4-chlorophenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,4,6-tri(isopropyl)phenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)phenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(ethoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(isopropoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(isobutoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; and 2,6-bis(tert-butoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3-chloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dichloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)phenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis (methoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(ethoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(isopropoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; and 2,6-bis(isobutoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride.

8. A compound according to formula (Ia):

in which:

R 1a and R 1b are independently a hydrogen atom; a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage;

R 2a′ and R 2b′ are independently a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; and

R 3 is a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage;

wherein when R 3 is a hydrogen atom, R 1a and R 1b are independently a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms or at least one of R 1a and R 1b is a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage, and

wherein, when R 3 is a primary alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms, at least one of R 1a and R 1b is a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage.

9. The compound of claim 8 , wherein the primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl groups having one to eight carbon atoms have from one to four carbon atoms.

10. The compound of claim 8 , wherein the alkyl groups having two to eight carbon atoms and at least one ether linkage have two to five carbon atoms and one or two ether linkages.

11. The compound of claim 10 , wherein the alkyl group is selected from the group consisting of CH 2 OCH 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 , CH 2 OCH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 OC(CH 3 ) 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 C(CH 3 ) 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , CH(CH 3 )OCH 3 , CH(CH 3 )OCH 2 CH 3 , C(CH 3 ) 2 OCH 3 , and C(CH 3 ) 2 OCH 2 CH 3 .

12. The compound of claim 11 , wherein the alkyl group is selected from the group consisting of CH 2 OCH 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , and CH 2 OCH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 .

13. The compound of claim 8 , wherein R 3 is a tertiary alkyl group.

14. The compound of claim 13 , wherein the tertiary group is tert-butyl group.

15. A compound according to formula (II):

in which:

R 1a′ and R 1b′ are independently a hydrogen atom or a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; and

R 3′ is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms;

wherein when R 3′ is a hydrogen atom, R 1a′ and R 1b′ are independently a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms, and wherein, when R 3′ is a primary alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms, at least one of R 1a′ and R 1b′ is a primary or secondary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms.

16. The compound of claim 15 , wherein the primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl groups have from one to four carbon atoms.

17. The compound of claim 15 , wherein R 3′ is a tertiary alkyl group.

18. The compound of claim 17 , wherein the tertiary group is tert-butyl group.

19. A compound according to formula (Ib):

in which

R 3′ is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms; and

R 4 is a primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl group; and

R 5 and R 6 are independently an alkylene group; the number of total carbon atoms of R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 is eight or less, and m is 0 or 1.

20. The compound of claim 19 , wherein the primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl groups have four carbon atoms or less.

21. The compound of claim 19 , wherein R 3′ is a hydrogen atom or a tertiary alkyl group.

22. The compound of claim 21 , wherein the tertiary group is tert-butyl group.

23. The compound of claim 19 , wherein R 4 is a primary or secondary alkyl group.

24. The compound of claim 19 , wherein m is 0.

25. The compound of claim 19 , wherein R 5 is methylene group.

26. A method of introducing one or more fluorine atoms into a target compound comprising:

contacting a fluorinating agent of formula (I) from claim 1 with the target compound under conditions that allow one or more fluorine atoms to be introduced into the target compound.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the target compound has one or more oxygen or oxygen-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the target compound has one or more sulfur or sulfur-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

29. The method of claim 26 , wherein the fluorinating agent is selected from the group consisting of 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3-chloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dichloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,4,6-trimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,4-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,5-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 4-fluorophenylsulfur trifluoride; 4-chlorophenylsulfur trifluoride; 3-methyl-4-chlorophenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,4,6-tri(isopropyl)phenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)phenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(ethoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(isopropoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(isobutoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; and 2,6-bis(tert-butoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride.

30. The method of claim 26 , wherein the fluorinating agent is selected from the group consisting of 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3-chloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dichloro-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)phenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(methoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(ethoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; 2,6-bis(isopropoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride; and 2,6-bis(isobutoxymethyl)-4-tert-butylphenylsulfur trifluoride.

31. A method of introducing one or more fluorine atoms into a target compound comprising:

contacting a fluorinating agent of formula (Ia) from claim 8 with the target compound under conditions that allow one or more fluorine atoms to be introduced into the target compound.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the target compound has one or more oxygen or oxygen-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the target compound has one or more sulfur or sulfur-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

34. A method of introducing one or more fluorine atoms into a target compound comprising:

contacting a fluorinating agent of formula (II) from claim 15 with the target compound under conditions that allow one or more fluorine atoms to be introduced into the target compound.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the target compound has one or more oxygen or oxygen-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

36. The method of claim 34 , wherein the target compound has one or more sulfur or sulfur-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

37. A method of introducing one or more fluorine atoms into a target compound comprising:

contacting a fluorinating agent of formula (Ib) from claim 19 with the target compound under conditions that allow one or more fluorine atoms to be introduced into the target compound.

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the target compound has one or more oxygen or oxygen-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.

39. The method of claim 37 , wherein the target compound has one or more sulfur or sulfur-containing groups which are replaced by the introduction of the one or more fluorine atoms.