Processes for preparing poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compounds

1. A process for preparing a poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound having a formula (I) as follows:

the process comprising:

reacting an aryl sulfur compound having a formula (II):

with a halogen selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and interhalogens, and a fluoro salt having a formula (III), to form a poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound having a formula (IV):

M + F −   (III)

and reacting the obtained poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound with a fluoride source to form the poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound;

in which: one or two of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are a SF 5 group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group; one or two of R 1′ , R 2′ , R 3′ , R 4′ , and R 5′ are a SR 6 group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group; one or two of R 1″ , R 2″ , R 3″ , R 4″ , and R 5″ are a SF 4 X group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group;

R 6 is a hydrogen atom, a silyl group, a metal atom, an ammonium moiety, a phosphonium moiety, or a halogen atom; or R 6 combines with another R 6 of its own molecule or another molecule to form a single bond;

M is a metal atom, an ammonium moiety, or a phosphonium moiety; and

X is a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the halogen reacted with the aryl sulfur compound is chlorine (Cl 2 ).

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the fluoro salt having a formula (III) is an alkali metal fluoride.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the fluoride source is at least one member selected from a group consisting of fluorides of typical elements in the Periodic Table, fluorides of transition elements in the Periodic Table, and mixture or compounds between or among these fluorides of typical elements and/or transition elements, as well as mixtures, compounds, salts, or complexes of these fluorides with fluoride source-activating compounds and/or organic molecules.

5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the reaction of the obtained poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound with a fluoride source being performed in the presence of a halogen selected from the group of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and interhalogens to form the poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound.

6. A process for preparing a poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound having a formula (IV):

the process comprising:

reacting an aryl sulfur compound having a formula (II):

with a halogen selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and interhalogens, and a fluoro salt having a formula (III), to form the poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound,

M + F −   (III)

in which: one or two of R 1″ , R 2″ , R 3″ , R 4″ , and R 5″ are a SF 4 X group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group; one or two of R 1′ , R 2′ , R 3′ , R 4′ , and R 5′ are a SR 6 group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group;

R 6 is a hydrogen atom, a silyl group, a metal atom, an ammonium moiety, a phosphonium moiety, or a halogen atom; or R 6 combines with another R 6 of its own molecule or another molecule to form a single bond;

M is a metal atom, an ammonium moiety, or a phosphonium moiety; and

X is a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the halogen reacted with the aryl sulfur compound is chlorine (Cl 2 ).

8. The process of claim 6 wherein the fluoro salt having a formula (III) is an alkali metal fluoride.

9. A process for preparing a poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound having a formula (I):

the process comprising:

reacting a poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound having a formula (IV):

with a fluoride source to form a poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound;

in which: one or two of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are a SF 5 group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group; one or two of R 1″ , R 2″ , R 3″ , R 4″ , and R 5″ are a SF 4 F group and each of the remainders is selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a nitro group, and a cyano group; and

X is a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the fluoride source is at least one member selected from a group consisting of fluorides of typical elements in the Periodic Table, fluorides of transition elements in the Periodic Table, and mixture or compounds between or among these fluorides of typical elements and/or transition elements, as well as mixtures, compounds, salts, or complexes of these fluorides with fluoride source-activating compounds and/or organic molecules.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein X is a chlorine atom.

12. The process of claim 9 , further comprising the reaction of the poly(halotetrafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound with a fluoride source being performed in the presence of a halogen selected from the group of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and interhalogens to form the poly(pentafluorosulfanyl)aromatic compound.