Activation of Primary and Secondary Benzylic and Tertiary Alkyl (sp )C-F Bonds Inside a Self-Assembled Molecular Container
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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Interactive Molecular Model Assembly with 3D Printing
Published on: August 13, 2020
Jesper M Köster1, Daniel Häussinger1, Konrad Tiefenbacher1,2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Alkyl fluorides are generally regarded as chemically inert. However, several literature examples describe the activation of alkyl (sp3)C-F bonds via strong Brønsted or Lewis acids under harsh conditions. We here report that catalytic amounts of the self-assembled resorcinarene capsule are able to activate alkyl (sp3)C-F bonds under mild conditions (40°C, no strong Brønsted or Lewis acid present). Kinetic measurements display a sigmoidal reaction progress after an initial induction period. Control experiments indicate that the presence of the supramolecular capsule is required for an efficient reaction acceleration.
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