Effect of sodium naphthalenide, a key SET reagent, on trifluoroacetyl derivatives

Aromatic trifluoroacetyl derivatives on treatment with single electron transfer (SET) reagent, sodium naphthalenide, yield symmetrical defluorinated dimers, whereas for aliphatic trifluoroacetyl compounds the reaction usually fails. Investigations have been made for different substituents as well as for similar types of chloro and bromo compounds to establish the scope of the reaction.