Method for incorporation of pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) substituents into aliphatic and aromatic compounds

A method of making pentafluorosulfanyl substituted compounds comprising the steps of:

• a) contacting a hexane solution comprising one or more compounds comprising one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic groups, substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkene groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkyne groups, substituted or unsubstituted styrene groups, disubstituted alkene groups (e.g., 2,2-disubstituted alkenes), substituted or unsubstituted non-terminal alkene groups, substituted or unsubstituted non-terminal alkyne groups, cyclohexene groups, substituted cyclohexene groups, cyclohexadiene groups, substituted cyclohexadiene groups, and combinations of such functional groups, or derivatives of the aforementioned functional groups, with a SF5Cl hexane solution;
• b) adding one or more catalyst(s)/initiator(s) selected from the group consisting of dialkylboranes, trialkylboranes, 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1] nonane, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• c) allowing the reaction of said compounds and said SF5CL solution to proceed under conditions suitable for the addition of pentafluorosulfanyl substituents to said compounds.