Catalytic Friedel-Crafts Reactions of Highly Electronically Deactivated Benzylic Alcohols

摘要

Highly electronically deactivated benzylic alcohols, including those with a CF3 group adjacent to the OH-bearing carbon, undergo dehydrative Friedel-Crafts reactions upon exposure to catalytic Bronsted acid in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) solvent. Titration and kinetic experiments support the involvement of higher order solvent/acid clusters in catalysis.