New or improved syntheses of the polyfluoroalcohols HOC(cyclo-C6H11)2(CF3), HO(cyclo-C6H11)(CF3)2, and HOC(Ar)(CF3)2 (Ar=4-C6H4(t-Bu), 2,4,6-C6H2(CF3)3, 4-Si(i-Pr)3-2,6-C6H2(CF3)2, 3,5-C6H3(CH3)2), and 2-C6H4(C(OH)(CF3)2)

Five new polyfluoroalcohols, HOC(cyclo-C6H11)(2)(CF3), HO(cyclo-C6H11)(CF3)(2), HOC(2,4,6-C6H2(CF3)(3))(CF3)(2), HOC(4-Si(i-Pr)(3)-2,6-C6H2(CF3)(2))(CF3)(2), and HOC(3,5-C6H3(CH3)(2))(CF3)(2), have been synthesized, and new procedures with improved yields for two known polyfluoroalcohols (HOC(cyclo-C6H11)(CF3)(2), HOC(4-C6H4(t-Bu))(CF3)(2)) have been developed. Variable temperature F-19 NMR spectra and the X-ray structure of one of the new polyfluoroalcohols, HOC(2,4,6-C6H2(CF3)(3))(CF3)(2), are also reported. In hydrocarbon solution, the OH hydrogen atom of this compound interacts with one of the fluorine atoms of one of the o-CF3 groups in a manner identical to that previously reported by us for HOC(4-Si(i-Pr)(3)-2,6-C6H2(CF3)(2))(CF3)(2). In the solid-state, however, the OH hydrogen atom in HOC(2,4,6-C6H2(CF3)(3))-(CF3)(2) appears to interact with one fluorine atom from each of the two geminal CF3 groups. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.