A NEW CYCLIC FLUORINATED TRISULFONE (CF2SO2)3 AND FLUORINATED DERIVATIVES - SO2(CF2SO2F)2, CF2(SO2CF3)2, CF3SO2CF2SO2F, CF2(SO2F)2 AND CF3SO2CF2SO2CF2SO2F

The preparation and characterization of the novel perfluorinated sulfo ne (CF2SO2)3 (1) has been achieved via static fluorination of the pota ssium salt of (CH2SO2)3. In addition to this product, the highly inter esting byproducts SO2(CF2SO2F)2 (2), CF2(SO2CF3)2 (3), CF3SO2CF2SO2F ( 4), CF2(SO2F)2 (5) and CF3SO2CF2SO2CF2SO2F (6) were also prepared. Inf rared, NMR and mass spectra are presented in order to support the assi gned structures; only compound 5 is known. The gas-phase molecular str ucture of 1 has been studied by electron-diffraction methods. Assuming C2 overall symmetry with equal axial and equatorial S=O and C-F bond lengths, nine geometric parameters were required to describe the struc ture of 1. The six-membered ring possesses a chair conformation with C 3 symmetry and the following ring parameters: C-F = 1.338(4), O=S = 1. 418(2), C-S=1.866(4) angstrom and angles < CSC = 100.2(7), < FCF = 109 .2(7), < OSO = 125.9(14)-degrees.