Synthesis and lewis acidity of fluorinated triaryl borates

Abstract

A series of fluorinated triaryl borates B(OArF)3 (ArF = 2-FC6H4, 3-FC6H4, 4-FC6H4, 2,4-F2C6H3, 3,5-F2C6H3, 2,3,4-F3C6H2, 2,4,6-F3C6H2, 3,4,5-F3C6H2) have been prepared and isolated from the reactions of the mono-, di-, or tri-fluorophenol with BCl3. The Lewis acidity of these borates has been determined by NMR spectroscopic and theoretical methods and compared to their well-established borane counterpart.