Novel reduction of perfluoroalkyl ketones with lithium alkoxides

The reaction of tert-butyl N-(2-bromophenyl)carbamate (1) with ethyl perfluorooctanoate in the presence of tert-butyllithium did not give the desired N-(2-perfluorooctanoylphenyl)carbamate (3) but gave 1-hydroxy-1H-perfluorooctyl compound (4), which was supposed to be formed by the reduction of 3. A similar reaction of 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone with tert-butyllithium did not gave any reduction product. Detailed investigation showed that lithium ethoxide worked as the reducing agent of this abnormal reduction. By the reaction of lithium isopropoxide, an aldol product from 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone with acetone was isolated, while perfluoroheptyl or perfluoropropyl phenyl ketones were reduced by this alkoxide in a high yield without formation of the aldol adduct.