Synthesis conditions and activity of various Lewis acids for the fluorination of trichloromethoxy-benzene by HF in liquid phase

The experimental conditions (temperature, reaction time, amount of hydrogen fluoride (HF)) for the comparison of the performances of various Lewis acids in the liquid phase fluorination by HF of the trichloromethoxy-benzene were determined by using SbCl5 as the reference catalyst. After 1 h reaction at 50 °C, C6H5OCCl3 was totally converted into C6H5OCF3 requiring only 2 mol% of SbCl5 and a stoichiometric amount of HF. The most efficient catalysts were found to be chlorinated Lewis acids in which the metal is at the state of oxidation +V (SbCl5, MoCl5, TaCl5 and NbCl5). The appropriate catalyst has to be able to form a nucleophilic complex with HF, which constitutes the actual fluorinating agent and is more efficient than HF alone.