Perfluoroalkyl 3-oxaperfluoralkanesulfonates XCF2OCF2CF2SO3CF2OCF2X (1) (X=CF2I (1a), CF2Cl (1b), HCF2 (1c), Cl2CF (1d)) reacted readily with various mucleophiles leading to S--O seission exclusively, thus 1 -- XCF2OCF2CF2SO2Y+XCF2OCF2COZ In the presence of a catalytic amount of halide (F-, Cl-, Br-, I-) and thiecyanate in diglyme 1 decomposed to give the corresponding sulfonly fluoride 2 (X=F) and acyl fluoride 3(Z=F). At room temperature 1 did not react with excess ethanol, but under refluxing for 12.5h, 1 was converted to 2 (Y=F) and 3 (Z=OEt). More powerful nucleophile ethoxide ion reacted readily with 1 at-60 - -50`C yielding Et2O and 3 (Z=OEt) but no 2 (Z=F). When the reaction was carried out at 80`C the yields of the products varied with the order of mixing of the reactants i.e. when 1 was added to excess ethoxide in ethanol, products are 3(Z=OEt), Et2O and 2(Y=F), but with ethoxide adding to 1 the yield of 2 (Y=F) was increased and that of ether decreased whereas the yield of 3 (Z=OEt) remained constant. Carboxylates (CF3CO2-, CH3CO2-) also caused S--O cleavage of 1 to give acetyl fluoride, 2 (y=F) and 3 (Z=F) as a result of decomposition of the intermediary mixed anhydride by the fluoride ion. In the same manner R2NH, C6H5NH2 reacted with 1 giving the products of S--O cleavage. In contrast to the nucleophilic reactions of α, α-di-H-perfluoroalkyl perfluoroalkanesulfonates (mainly C--O cleavage) it has been found that all nucleophies attack the sulfur atom of 1 exclusively. A possible interpretation is that the SN2 attack at sp3 carbon atom in highly fluorinated system is made impossible by the shielding effect of the two fluorine atoms in the alcoholic moiety and leaving the attack on the sulfur as the only alternative.

Key words: ESTERS, SUBSTITUTION REACTION, SULFONIC ACID, CHEMICAL BONDS, NUCLEOPHILIC REACTION, SCISSION (CHEMICAL STRUCTURE), FLUOROCARBON