A simple route to hexamethylguanidinium fluoride

Tetramethylchloroformamidinium chloride reacts with 2 mol equivalents of tetramethylammonium fluoride to give bis(dimethylamino)difluoromethane (1). The treating of 1 with dimethylaminotrimethylsilane in acetonitrile yields quantitatively hexamethylguanidinium fluoride (2). Reaction of 2 with (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane provides an easy access to 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,2,2-tris(dimethylamino)ethane (4).