A facile synthetic method for 2-fluoroindolizines from 1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane (HCFC-133a) and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a)

In the presence of KOH and Et3N, pyridinium and isoquinolinium N-ylides generated in situ from their bromides react with 1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane (HCFC-133a, bp 6 °C) or 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a, bp −27 °C) to give the corresponding 2-fluoroindolizines via 1,3-dipolar [3+2] cycloaddition at 80–100 °C in DMSO at atmospheric pressure in normal glassware.