The reaction of 4-(4'-trifluoromethyl-tetrafluorophenoxy)-tetrafuorophenyll
ithium (R(F)L1, 1) With halogens, dicyanogen, cyanogen halides, and xenon d
ifluoride was examined. The corresponding halogenated aromatics RFCl (2), R
FBr (3) and RFI (4) were formed upon reaction with chlorine bromine, and io
dine. Essentially the same products were isolated in the reaction of 1 with
cyanogen chloride, bromide, and iodide, respectively. The nitrile RFCN (5)
was obtained from the reaction of 1 with dicyanogen only as a minor produc
t. The reaction of 1 with XeF2 resulted in the isolation of RFCH(CH3)CH2CH3
(6). All products were identified and characterized by analytical and spec
troscopic methods. In addition the molecular structures of 2, 3, and 4 have
been determined by X-ray crystallography. The reaction enthalpies for the
gas phase reactions of pentafluorophenyllithium, C6F5Li, as a model for 1,
with XCN (X = F, Cl, Br, I) were calculated.