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Activation of the relatively inactive polypyridine backbone with strong electrophilic fluorine, originating from acetyl hypofluorite (AcOF) enables attack of the acetoxy moiety at the α position to the heteroatom. Derivatives of bipyridine, phenanthroline and terpyridine systems have been acetoxylated or oxygenated within a few minutes usually in very good yields.

A novel synthesis of different aromatic and heteroaromatic difluorodioxole derivatives has been developed. The starting materials were catechols, which, after treatment with thiophosgene, formed at 0 °C the respective thiodioxoles. The latter were reacted for a short time with commercially available bromine trifluoride, producing potentially biologically important difluoroaryldioxoles in moderate to high yields.