Mild and selective α-fluorination of carbonyl compounds (ketones, 1,3-diketones, β-ketoesters, α-nitroketones, and β-ketonitriles) with Selectfluor (F-TEDA-BF4) in imidazolium ILs [BMIM/PF6 or BMIM/NTf2] with Bronsted-acidic IL [PMIM(SO3H)/OTf] as promoter

Structurally diverse ketones, 1,3-diketones, and beta-ketoesters, were selectively monofluorinated with Selectfluor (F-TEDA-BF4) (1 equiv) in [BMIM][PF6] as solvent and [PMIM(SO3H)][OTf] as promoter under mild conditions. In selected cases, the monofluorinated products were transformed to the gem-difluoro derivatives by employing an additional equivalent of Selectfluor, and gem-difluoro-derivatives were synthesized directly from the substrates by employing 2 equiv of Selectfluor. The method was extended to monofluorination of representative alpha-nitroketones and beta-ketonitriles using [BMIM][NTf2] without the need for promoters. The described method offers the added advantage of recycling and reuse of the IL solvent.