The transformations of fluoroalkyl-containing 2-arylhydrazono-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with methylamine

Fluoroalkylated 1,2,3-triketone 2-arylhydrazones and 2-arylhydrazono-3-oxo esters react variously with methylamine depending on the structure of the fluorinated substituent. 2-Arylhydrazono-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds having “short” fluoroalkyl substituents condense with methylamine at the carbonyl group attached to the non-fluorinated substituent whereas ones containing a lengthy polyfluoroalkyl substituent undergo haloformic cleavage as a result of the amine addition at the carbonyl group bearing such a substituent. The resulting 2-arylazo-3-(N-methyl)amino-1-polyfluoroket-2-en-1-ones and 1-(N-methyl)amino-2-arylhydrazono-3-fluoroalkyl-3-oxopropanamides have complexing properties, and they can bind to nickel(II) and copper(II) ions. Nickel chelates can be obtained by a three-component condensation of 2-arylhydrazono-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and methylamine in the presence of nickel(II) cations.