From Refrigerant to Reagent: Repurposing HFC-125 into Inorganic and Organic Fluorinating Agents

We report a sustainable and atom-economical strategy to repurpose the refrigerant HFC-125 (CF₃CF₂H) into two valuable fluorinating agents: potassium fluoride (KF) and 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>-dimethylethylamine (TFEDMA). Treatment of HFC-125 with KHMDS in toluene at low temperature induces deprotonation and β-fluoride elimination, quantitatively generating KF. The resulting crude KF, designated as KF₁₂₅, efficiently promotes a range of nucleophilic fluorination reactions. Simultaneously, the cogenerated tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) is converted into TFEDMA, achieving complete utilization of HFC-125. This dual-reagent platform represents a practical and scalable approach to upcycling fluorinated industrial feedstocks for synthetic applications.