Partially fluorinated alkanes, arenes, and alkenes can be transformed by a variety of transition metal and lanthanide systems. Although the C-H bond is weaker than the C-F bond regardless of the hybridization of the carbon, the reaction of the C-F bond at the metal is usually more exothermic than the corresponding reaction of the C-H bonds. Both bonds are activated by the metal systems, but the preference for activating these bonds depends on the nature of the hydrocarbon and of the metal system, so that the reaction can be directed exclusively toward C-H or C-F bonds or yield a mixture of products. Additionally, the presence of fluorine differentiates between C-H bonds at different positions resulting in regioselective C-H bond activation; paradoxically, the strongest C-H bond reacts preferentially. The purpose of this review is to describe the field of reactions of partially fluorinated substrates with transition metal atoms, ions, and molecular complexes. The controlling physical properties (thermodynamics and kinetics) are described first, followed by a description of stoichiometric reactions, with the competition between the C-H and C-F activations as focus. A few representative catalytic systems are discussed. The review also highlights the benefit of combining experimental and theoretical studies.

Manganese‐catalyzed C−H bond activation chemistry is emerging as a powerful and complementary method for molecular functionalization. A highly reactive seven‐membered MnI intermediate is detected and characterized that is effective for H‐transfer or reductive elimination to deliver alkenylated or pyridinium products, respectively. The two pathways are determined at MnI by judicious choice of an electron‐deficient 2‐pyrone substrate containing a 2‐pyridyl directing group, which undergoes regioselective C−H bond activation, serving as a valuable system for probing the mechanistic features of Mn C−H bond activation chemistry.

The effect of fluorine substituents on the regio­selectivity of intramolecular reactions of mono- and difluorinated N,N-dimethylbenzylamines (1a–f) at palladium, to form palladacycles di-μ-acetato­bis­[o-dimethylaminomethyl-n-fluorophenyl-C,N)­dipalladium­(II) (2a–f) and di-μ-chloro­bis­[o-dimethylaminomethyl-n-fluorophenyl-C,N)­dipalladium­(II) (3a–e), has been investigated. When fluorinated substrates with two sites available for the C–H functionalization (1c and 1e) undergo cyclopalladation via a CMD mechanism (acetate-bridged palladacycles), they do not exhibit regioselectivity. In contrast, the same substrates exhibit complete regioselectivity for the C–H functionalization para to fluorine in cyclopalladation reactions that proceed via an SEAr mechanism (involving chloride-bridged palladacycles). X-ray crystal structures were obtained for all the palladacycles synthesized, and a structural analysis showed that the number and the position of the fluorine atoms on the aromatic ring have a marked effect on the “clamshell” structure of the acetate-bridged palladacycles. By contrast, there is no great variation in the structures of the planar chloride-bridged palladacycles.

This study describes the synthesis and characterization of a new class of ferrocene-containing carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs, 1-3). The ferrocenyl group is both a recognized therapeutically viable coligand and a handle for informative infrared spectroelectrochemistry. Deoxymyoglobin CO-release assays and in situ infrared spectroscopy confirm compounds 2 and 3 as photoCORMs and 1 as a thermal CORM, attributed to the increased sensitivity of the Mn-ferrocenyl bond to protonation in 1. Electrochemical and infrared spectroelectrochemical experiments confirm a single reversible redox couple associated with the ferrocenyl moiety with the Mn tetracarbonyl center showing no redox activity up to +590 mV vs Fc/Fc, though no concomitant CO release was observed in association with the redox activity. The effects of linker length on communication between the Fe and Mn centers suggest that the incorporation of redox-active ligands into CORMs focuses on the first coordination sphere of the CORM. Redox-tagged CORMs could prove to be a useful mechanistic probe; our findings could be developed to use redox changes to trigger CO release.

Manganese-catalyzed C À Hbond activation chemistry is emerging as ap owerful and complementary method for molecular functionalization. Ah ighly reactive seven-membered Mn I intermediate is detected and characterized that is effective for H-transfer or reductive elimination to deliver alkenylated or pyridinium products,r espectively.T he two pathwaysa re determined at Mn I by judicious choice of an electron-deficient 2-pyrone substrate containing a2 -pyridyl directing group,w hichu ndergoes regioselective C À Hb ond activation, serving as av aluable system for probing the mechanistic features of Mn CÀHb ond activation chemistry.C À Hb ond activation-functionalization chemistry is ac entral arena for catalyst development and synthetic application.[1] Tr ansition metals mediate the efficient and selective activation of CÀHb onds,w ith recent attention focusing on environmentally benign and sustainable metals,f or example, Mn, Co,F e, and Cu.[2] Mn I promotes CÀHa ctivation of substrates containing nitrogen-directing groups.[3] Fore xample, 1 gives cyclomanganated complex 2,w ith subsequent reaction with alkyne 3 forming aproposed 7-membered ring intermediate 4 (Scheme 1).[4] Formation of either 5, 6,o r7 results from reductive elimination, H-transfer,o rd ehydrogenative annulation, respectively.Processes utilizing Mn I ,p articularly [Mn(C^N)(CO) 4 ] 2, [5, 6] have been of broad interest. Them echanistic features of the remarkable synthetic work of Ackermann and Wang, [3,4] where intermediates 4a-c have been proposed, prompted us to examine whether they could be detected and characterized and then subsequently be shown to deliver organic products such as 5-7.C omplexes 4d-f,f ormed by insertion of internal alkynes are known, [6,7] but their competence in terms of af ully connected reaction system, affording organic products,h as not been examined. As 18-electron species containing four CO ligands,p ossessing high thermodynamic stability,t hey are unlikely to be directly involved in the catalytic cycle.[8]Herein we describe asuitable reaction system (1g!4g! 5g or 6g,S cheme 1) that takes advantage of the exquisite reactivity of an electron-deficient 2-pyrone ring system containing a2 -pyridyl directing group (1g). We recognized that the 2-pyrone could act as ah emilabile ligand in 7-membered manganacycle 4g,p otentially providing sufficient stabilisation for observation of this key intermediate.O ur findings demonstrate that 4g acts as ac entral manifold to reductive elimination and H-transfer, giving products 5g and 6g,respectively,w ith details described herein.Our study began with the reaction of 2-pyrone 1g with BnMn(CO) 5 in hexane at 75 8 8C, which gave cyclometalated 2g cleanly and in quantitative yield (Scheme 2). Complex 2g was fully characterized (see the Supporting Information);asingle crystal X-ray structure confirmed that regioselective CÀH activation occurred at C3, in keeping with Pd II -direct arylations of 2-pyrones, [9] albeit most likely by a s-CAM-type process. [10] We hypothesized tha...