Chlorodefluorination Induced by Gallium‐Based Lewis Acids

The reaction of [Ga(C2F5)3(FSiMe3)] with chlorotrimethylsilane leads to the selective substitution of the α‐fluorine atoms by chlorine atoms and thus to the formation of [Ga(CCl2CF3)3(FSiMe3)]. The corresponding chlorogallate ion, [Ga(CCl2CF3)3Cl]–, could be isolated and structurally characterized as its tetraphenylphosphonium salt. The catalytic potential of [Ga(CCl2CF3)3(FSiMe3)] was demonstrated via the chlorodefluorination of Me3SiCF3, 2,2‐difluoropropane and [PPh4][Ga(C2F5)4].