Department of Chemistry Seminar - Our Journey Toward Making Unpredictable Fluorine Chemistry Predictable

Speaker: Prof. Xiaosong Xue

Institution: Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Hosted by: Prof. Zhenyang LIN

Abstract

Often described as “a small atom with a big ego,” fluorine plays an increasingly important role in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials science owing to its unique electronic and physicochemical properties. Yet, as Manfred Schlosser famously remarked,“Fluorine leaves nobody indifferent; it inflames emotions, be that affections or aversions. As a substituent it is rarely boring, always good for a surprise, but often completely unpredictable.” This unpredictability arises from the distinctive electronic, stereoelectronic, and reactivity features of fluorinated molecules, which frequently cause conventional principles established for organic chemistry to break down in fluorinated systems. In this lecture, I will present our recent efforts to apply the concepts and methodologies of Physical Organic Chemistry to organofluorine chemistry toward making unpredictable fluorine chemistry more predictable. Particular emphasis will be placed on uncovering the mechanistic origins of fluorine effects, establishing quantitative reactivity principles, and developing predictive frameworks for fluorinated reactions and reagents.1,2 These studies aim to transform fluorine chemistry from an experience-driven discipline into a predictive science guided by mechanism, reactivity theory, and rational design.