Metal bis(perfluorooctanesulfonyl)amides as highly efficient Lewis acid catalysts for fluorous biphase organic reactions

In fluorous biphase system, metal bis(perfluorooctanesulfonyl)amides are better Lewis acid catalysts than the analogous triflates toward either transesterifications, or direct esterifications, or Friedel–Crafts acylations or Baeyer–Villiger oxidations. These catalysts are selectively soluble in lower fluorous phase and can be recovered simply by phase separation. Furthermore, these catalysts can be reused without decrease of activity in most cases.