Difluoromethyltrialkylammonium salts--their expeditious synthesis from chlorodifluoromethane and tertiary amines in the presence of concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide. The catalytic process.

We found that difluorocarbene generated from chlorodifluoromethane with 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide reacts with lipophilic tertiary amines 1a-g giving difluoromethyltrialkylammonium chlorides 2a-g in high yields. Similarly, difluoromethyltrialkylammonium iodides 3h-l, nitrates 4h-k, or isothiocyanates 5i,j were synthesized from hydrophilic tertiary amines 1h-l and the corresponding sodium or potassium salts. The process is catalytic with respect to the base used.