This thesis concerns method development of new synthetic routes by applying electrophilic hypervalent iodine reagents, such as trifluoromethyl-benziodoxole (Togni reagent) and fluoro-benziodoxole. The first project involved the addition of an oxygen moiety and trifluoromethyl group across double and triple bonds (both groups derived from the hypervalent iodine reagent). We observed that electron donating substituents on the aromatic ring of the substrate accelerated the oxytrifluoromethylation reaction. This transformation was further expanded to halo-trifluoromethylation reaction of a vinyl silane substrate. We also developed a copper mediated cyanotrifluoromethylation reaction, which was accelerated by PCy3 additive. This transformation allowed for the creation of two new C-C bonds in a single addition reaction. The direct C-H trifluoromethylation reaction of quinones was achived using the Togni-reagent in the presence of B2pin2 additive. The intriguing additive effects of both B2pin2 and PCy3 inspired us to examine the mechanism of these transformations. Fluoro-benziodoxole is the fluoroiodane analogue of the trifluoromethylating Togni reagent. We developed a AgBF4 mediated geminal difluorination of styrenes using this fluoroiodine reagent. In this process one fluorine atom came from the fluoroiodane, while the other fluorine was derived from the tetrafluoroborate ion. A similar approach was applied for the 1,3-oxyfluorination and difluorination of cyclopropanes. Similarly, this fluorinative ring opening of unactivated cyclopropanes involved the introduction of an electrophilic fluorine atom from the fluoroiodane reagent and a nucleophilic one from the tetrafluoroborate ion. This reaction was extended to synthesis of 1,3-oxyfluorinated products. When alkenes reacted with the fluoro-benziodoxole reagent in the presence of palladium catalyst the iodofluorination reaction occurred.  Both the iodine and fluorine atoms were derived from the fluoroiodane reagent. The iodofluorination reaction with disubstituted and cyclic alkenes proceeded with high regio- and stereoselectivity.

Owing to its unique electronic properties, the CF₂ group has the potential to affect the conformation and polarity of molecules. The Introduction provides an overview of the conformational effects induced by the incorporation of fluorine into hydrocarbons, e.g. gauche effect, 1,3-C,F bond repulsion and angle deviation in organofluorine compounds. A summary of synthetic strategies for the introduction of the gem-difluoride motif into organic molecules is also presented. In order to explore the conformational impact of the CF₂ group in alicyclic hydrocarbon systems, cyclododecane was employed as the molecular framework. In 1,1,4,4- and 1,1,7,7- tetrafluorocyclododecanes, two CF₂ groups replaced CH₂ units within the square [3333] cyclododecane ring where the spacing enables the CF₂ groups to occupy adjacent or opposite corner locations. In the case of 1,1,6,6-tetrafluorocyclododecane, one of the CF₂ groups was forced to the edge position, which changes the ring conformation dramatically. Strategic incorporation of two CF₂ groups is shown to either stabilise or significantly alter the conformation of the cyclododecane framework, a revealing conformational preference of the CF₂ group to locate at the corner rather than the edge position of hydrocarbon rings. The study extends to larger cycloalkanes, rectangular [3434] cyclotetradecanes and square [4444] cyclohexadecanes. The target cycloalkanes bearing two CF₂ units were assembled through a novel synthetic route, employing ring-closing metathesis (RCM) as the key step. X-Ray structure analyses revealed that the CF₂ groups occupy exclusively corner locations of these rings too. The spacing between the CF₂ moieties dictates the overall ring conformations and offers a useful tool for controlling molecular arrangement. An accelerating role of the CF₂ group, relative to the CH₂ group, on the ring-closing metathesis of C5-substituted 1,8-nonadienes has also been studied. Remarkably, the CF₂ group exhibited a similar reaction rate to that observed for nonadienes bearing 1,3-dioxolane or dimethylmalonate groups. This effect was rationalised by the thermodynamic stability of the cycloheptene products, rather than a Thorpe-Ingold effect.