Nucleophile-Dependent Regioselective Reaction of (S)‑4-Benzyl-2-Fluoroalkyl-1,3-Oxazolines

Nucleophile-dependent regioselectivities in the nucleophilic reaction of (S)-4-benzyl-2-fluoroalkyl-1,3-oxazoline to different types of fluorinated compounds were investigated experimentally and theoretically. The ring opening of (S)-4-benzyl-2-bromodifluoromethyl-1,3-oxazoline by arenethiolates exclusively occurred at the C5 position of the 1,3-oxazoline ring, whereas completely different regioselectivity was observed for a unimolecular radical nucleophilic substitution (SRN1) at the terminal bromine atom of the CF2Br group when arenolates were employed as the nucleophiles. The reaction of (S)-4-benzyl-2-trifluoromethyl-1,3-oxazoline with nucleophiles such as arenethiols, arenols, and TMSCl underwent nucleophilic ring opening in a regiospecific way, while the use of TMSCF3 was determined to proceed through nucleophilic addition to the CN bond.