a method of effecting a nucleophilic substitution of an alcohol to produce a target product includes the steps of : reacting the alcohol and a nucleophile with an azodicarboxylate and a phosphine . at least one of the azodicarboxylate and the phosphine includes at least one fluorous tag . in several embodiments , the azodicarboxylate includes at least one fluorous tag , and the phosphine includes at least one fluorous tag . a compound has the formula : in the above formula n1 , n2 , n3 , n4 , n5 , n6 , n7 , n8 , n9 and n10 are independently 1 or 0 . x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , x 4 , x 5 , x 6 , x 7 , x 8 , x 9 , x 10 , x 11 , x 12 , x 13 , x 14 , x 15 , x 16 , x 17 , x 18 , x 19 and x 20 are independently h , f , cl , an alkyl group , an aryl group or an alkoxy group . r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , r 8 , r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 are independently h , f , cl , an alkyl group , an alkoxy group , a thioalkyl group , a dialkylamino group , a nitro group , a cyano group , a perfluoroalkyl group , a hydrofluoroalkyl group , a fluorinated ether group , a fluorinated amine group , o — rf 1 , s — rf 2 , or — n , wherein r 22 is an alkyl group or rf 4 , and wherein rf 1 , rf 2 , rf 3 and rf 4 are independently a fluorous group selected from the group of a perfluoroalkyl group , a hydrofluoroalkyl group , a fluorinated ether group or a fluorinated amine group . at least one of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , r 8 , r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 or r 16 is o — rf 1 , s — rf 2 , — n , a perfluoroalkyl group , a hydrofluoroalkyl group , a fluorinated ether group or a fluorinated amine group .