Electrochemical oxidation of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol to trifluoroacetaldehyde 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl hemiacetal

Electrochemical oxidation of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (1) gave trifluoroacetaldehyde 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl hemiacetal (2b), which was more reactive than commercially available trifluoroacetaldehyde ethyl hemiacetal (2a). The high reactivity of 2b was utilized, for example, for the facile synthesis of 1-furyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (4) from furan. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.