THERMOLYTIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF POLYFLUOROORGANIC COMPOUNDS .30. COPYROLYSIS OF ALPHA,ALPHA-DICHLOROOCTAFLUOROETHYLBENZENE WITH TETRAFLUOROETHYLENE

The reaction of alpha,alpha-dichlorooctafluoroethylbenzene with tetraf luoroethylene as a source of difluorocarbene has been studied. The cop yrolysis of these compounds gave not only the expected products, decaf luoro-alpha-methylstyrene and alpha-chloroheptafluorostyrene, but also noticeable amounts of perfluoro-1-methylindan and perfluoro-7-methylb icyclo[4.3.0]nona-1,4,6-triene along with perfluoro-3-methylindene and octafluorostyrene. It has been suggested that indan and the triene ar e formed with the participation of the C6F5CClCF3 radical through sigm atropic shifts of fluorine atoms in the intermediate bicyclic compound s. The reaction of alpha,alpha-dichlorodecafluoropropylbenzene with te trafluoroethylene afforded alpha-chloroheptafluorostyrene as the main product.