FLUOROUS SYNTHESIS - A FLUOROUS-PHASE STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING SEPARATION EFFICIENCY IN ORGANIC-SYNTHESIS

Recovery and purification difficulties can limit the yield and utility of otherwise successful organic synthesis strategies. A ''fluorous sy nthesis'' approach is outlined in which organic molecules are rendered soluble in fluorocarbon solvents by attachment of a suitable fluoroca rbon group. Fluorocarbon solvents are usually immiscible in organic so lutions, and fluorous molecules partition out of an organic phase and into a fluorous phase in a standard liquid-liquid extraction. Simple y et substantive separations of organic reaction mixtures are achieved w ithout resorting to chromatography. Because fluorous synthesis combine s in many respects the favorable purification features of solid-phase synthesis with the favorable reaction, identification, and analysis fe atures of traditional organic synthesis,it should prove valuable in th e automated synthesis of libraries of individual pure organic compound s.