Hydrogen Peroxide in Fluorinated Alcohols：A Potent and Selective Oxidative System

1 Introduction Fluorinated alcohols such as 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol and 2,2,2-trifluoroetanol have particular properties compared to non-fluorinated ones and could provoke changes in the course of reactions in these solvents. Their specific properties are connected mainly to the strong hydrogen bond donor ability and solvation of nuclephiles on one side, and weak hydrogen bond acceptor strength and weak solvation of electrophiles on the other. This dichotomy makes them very attractiv…

Hydrogen Peroxide in Fluorinated Alcohols: A Potent and Selective Oxidative System

Fluorinated alcohols such as 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol and 2,2,2-trifluoroetanol have particular properties compared to non-fluorinated ones and could provoke changes in the course of reactions in these solvents. Their specific properties are connected mainly to the strong hydrogen bond donor ability and solvation of nuclephiles on one side, and weak hydrogen bond acceptor strength and weak solvation of electrophiles on the other. This dichotomy makes them very attractive solvents for various chemical reactions including cleavage of O-O and C-O bonds and cycloadditions. At first they were used for solvolysis studies and stabilization of kationic intermediates and kation radicals, then their use was extended to various chemical synthesis and to biochemistry, where their effect on the formation of hydrogen bonds was used to alter the conformations of peptides and proteins.