Trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane: nucleophilic trifluoromethylation and beyond

Organocatalyzed Trifluoromethylation of Ketones and Sulfonyl Fluorides by Fluoroform under a Superbase System

Fluoroform (HCF3, HFC-23) is a side product in the manufacture of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon). Despite its attractive properties, taming HCF3 for trifluoromethylation is quite problematic owing to its low acidity and the lability of the naked trifluoromethyl carbanion generated from HCF3. Herein we report the organic-superbase-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of ketones and arylsulfonyl fluorides by HCF3. The reactions were carried out by using a newly developed "superbase organocatalyst system" consisting of catalytic amounts of P4-tBu and N(SiMe3)3. A series of aryl and alkyl ketones were converted into the corresponding α-trifluoromethyl carbinols in good yields under the organocatalysis conditions in THF. The superbase organocatalytic system can also be applied to the trifluoromethylation of arylsulfonyl fluorides for biologically important aryl triflones in THF or DMF in good yields. Protonated P4-tBu, H[P4-tBu](+), is suggested to be crucial for the catalytic process. This new catalytic methodology using HCF3 is expected to expand the range of synthetic applications of trifluoromethylation.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Tertiary Alcohols and Oxetenes Bearing a Difluoromethyl Group

The catalytic asymmetric ene reaction with difluoropyruvate as an electrophile in the presence of a dicationic palladium complex is shown. This is the reliable and practical catalytic asymmetric synthesis for various α-CF2H tertiary alcohols in high yields and enantioselectivities. The reaction with isobutene can be catalyzed efficiently under solvent-free conditions with low catalyst loading (up to S/C 2000). Furthermore, difluoropyruvate is applicable to the [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction in high yields and enantioselectivities.

Silver-Mediated Oxidative Trifluoromethylation of Alcohols to Alkyl Trifluoromethyl Ethers

The development of an efficient and practical method for the preparation of alkyl trifluoromethyl ethers is urgently demanding. The silver-mediated oxidative O-trifluoromethylation of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols with TMSCF3 under mild reaction conditions is established to provide a novel approach to a broad range of alkyl trifluoromethyl ethers. Further, this method is applied to the late-stage O-trifluoromethylation of complex natural products and prescribed pharmaceutical agents.

A Versatile Organocatalytic Approach for the Synthesis of Enantioenriched gem-Difluorinated Compounds

The combination of a practical and highly enantioselective organocatalytic reaction, which allows the stereoselective introduction of a benzodithiol group, with a fluorination step, gives a new and effective strategy for the stereoselective synthesis of difluorinated building blocks. The benzodithiol group is a versatile and chameleonic group that can be further functionalized before fluorination, giving customized and tailored useful synthetic strategies. As an example of the application of this facile strategy, the effective enantioselective synthesis of difluoroarundic acid is described.

A scalable and operationally simple radical trifluoromethylation

The large number of reagents that have been developed for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated compounds is a testament to the importance of the CF3 group as well as the associated synthetic challenge. Current state-of-the-art reagents for appending the CF3 functionality directly are highly effective; however, their use on preparative scale has minimal precedent because they require multistep synthesis for their preparation, and/or are prohibitively expensive for large-scale application. For a scalable trifluoromethylation methodology, trifluoroacetic acid and its anhydride represent an attractive solution in terms of cost and availability; however, because of the exceedingly high oxidation potential of trifluoroacetate, previous endeavours to use this material as a CF3 source have required the use of highly forcing conditions. Here we report a strategy for the use of trifluoroacetic anhydride for a scalable and operationally simple trifluoromethylation reaction using pyridine N-oxide and photoredox catalysis to affect a facile decarboxylation to the CF3 radical.

Iodine(III)-Mediated Oxy-fluorination of Alkenyl Oximes: An Easy Path to Monofluoromethyl-Substituted Isoxazolines

A highly regioselective intramolecular oxy-fluorination of alkenyl oximes was achieved. This new transformation represents an efficient method for the preparation of monofluoromethyl-substituted isoxazolines. The synthetic application of the oxy-fluorination product was demonstrated by a one-step synthesis of monofluoromethyl-substituted β-hydroxyl ketone derivatives.

Visible light-induced selective hydrobromodifluoromethylation of alkenes with dibromodifluoromethane

A visible light-induced selective hydrobromodifluoromethylation of alkenes using CF2Br2 was developed. This transformation proceeded smoothly in the presence of catalytic eosin Y at room temperature to give various hydrobromodifluoromethylated compounds with broad functional group tolerance.

Anti-Diastereoselective Synthesis of CF3-Containing Spirooxazolines and Spirooxazines via Regiospecific Trifluoromethylative Spirocyclization by Photoredox Catalysis

A novel synthesis of CF3-containing spirooxazolines and spirooxazines has been developed. Regiospecific trifluoromethylative spirocyclization (CF3-spirocyclization) of cyclic alkenes bearing an amide pendant mediated by photoredox catalysis is a useful strategy for construction of a C(sp(3))-CF3 bond and an spirooxazoline or spirooxazine ring onto C═C bonds via a single step. The key intermediate is α-CF3-substituted carbocationic species smoothly generated from single-electron-transfer (SET) photoredox processes, which results in diastereoselective spirocyclization. This is the first example of synthesis of CF3-containing spirooxazolines and spirooxazines in anti-fashion with respect to the CF3 group and the oxygen atom of the spirocycles.

Cross-Coupling of [2-Aryl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl](trimethyl)silanes with Aryl Halides

The synthesis of arylCF2CF2SiMe3 and their reactivity in cross-coupling reactions with aryl iodides and aryl bromides to afford a range of 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-1,2-arylethanes is reported. The use of pyridine as an alternative to phenanthroline, and the ability to carry out the reaction at 60 °C or room temperature are the key features of this Cu-Ag mediated cross-coupling methodology. The chemistry is compatible with (hetero)aryl halides, offering a platform to develop products of interest in material and medicinal chemistry.