ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF SODIUM TRIFLUOROMETHANESULFINATE

The electrochemical oxidation of sodium salt of trifluoromethanesulfin ic acid on a glassy carbon electrode is studied in the tetrabutylammon ium tetrafluoroborate supporting electrolyte in acetonitrile by method s of the rotating disk and the ring-disk electrodes and cyclic voltamm etry, Electrochemical oxidation of the trifluoromethanesulfinate anion is shown to result in desulfonylation and formation of the trifluorom ethyl radical. The products of trifluoromethoxylation of aromatic comp ounds are found to form in the presence of oxygen during the preparati ve electrooxidation. The possibility of using sodium trifluoromethanes ulfinate for trifluoromethylation of aromatic compounds in the course of anodic oxidation is demonstrated.