Systematic study of nucleophile additions to 1-bromo-4-(trifluorovinyloxy)benzene: A versatile intermediate toward fluorinated ethers of synthetic interest

The nature of the structural configuration of fluorinated ethers has been widespread as a crucial component for improving high performance polymers, industrial agrochemicals, and targets for important pharmaceutical drugs. This is a result of countless advances in organo-fluorine methodologies with this unique substructure in order to overcome many traditional synthetic challenges. In this work, we expand on the preparation of fluorinated ethers by introducing hetero-nucleophiles to a highly electrophilic aryl trifluorovinyl ether affording a new class of difunctional aryl/alkyl fluorinated ethers that would serve as useful intermediates. The facile reaction chemistry of various nucleophile substrates, effect of base concerning regio-selectivity, and structural elucidation trends of the synthesized aryl/alkyl fluoroethers will be discussed.