Preparation of potassium fluoroorganotrifluoroborates under non-etching conditions via a Li-K exchange

•A non-etching preparation of potassium trifluoropropynyl- and fluoroaryltrifluoroborates.•BF3·OEt2 served as the fluoroboron source.•Aqueous saturated potassium salt solutions, other than KHF2, were used as the potassium source.•Facile Li-K exchange generates potassium organotrifluoroborates.

A non-etching preparation of potassium trifluoropropynyl- and fluoroaryltrifluoroborates from the corresponding organolithium and BF3-Et2O is described. The latter served as the fluoroboron source and a variety of aqueous saturated potassium salt solutions, other than KHF2, were examined for the Li-K exchange to generate the desired potassium organotrifluoroborates.

Graphical abstractA non-etching preparation of potassium trifluoropropynyl- and fluoroaryltrifluoroborates from the corresponding organolithium and BF3·OEt2via a Li-K salt exchange is described.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide