Sodium chlorodifluoroacetate is the organofluorine compound with the formula CF2ClCO2Na.[2] It is a salt formed by neutralization of chlorodifluoroacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. The compound, a white solid, is of interest as a source of difluorocarbene:
CF2ClCO2Na → NaCl + CF2 + CO2
This reaction is conducted in a hot solution also containing the substrate. Diglyme is a typical solvent.[2] The conversion of sodium chlorodifluoroacetate is proposed to start with decarboxylation, which generates the carbanionClF2C−.
One set of applications is difluorocyclopropanation. Thermal decomposition of sodium chlorodifluoroacetate in the presence of triphenylphosphine and an aldehyde allows for a Wittig-like reactions[3] In this case, (C6H5)3P=CF2 is proposed as an intermediate.