Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Functionalized Difluoromethyl Bromides and Chlorides with Aryl Boronic Acids: A General Method for Difluoroalkylated Arenes

Gold-Catalyzed Highly Selective Photoredox C(sp(2) )-H Difluoroalkylation and Perfluoroalkylation of Hydrazones

The first gold-catalyzed photoredox C(sp(2) )-H difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation of hydrazones with readily available RF -Br reagents is reported. The resulting gem-difluoromethylated and perfluoroalkylated hydrazones are highly functionalized, versatile molecules. A mild reduction of the coupling products can efficiently produce gem-difluoromethylated β-amino phosphonic acids and β-amino acid derivatives. In mechanistic studies, a difluoroalkyl radical intermediate was detected by an EPR spin-trapping experiment, indicating that a gold-catalyzed radical pathway is operating.

Visible-Light Photoredox-Catalyzed C-H Difluoroalkylation of Hydrazones through an Aminyl Radical/Polar Mechanism

An unprecedented visible-light-induced direct C-H bond difluoroalkylation of aldehyde-derived hydrazones was developed. This reaction represents a new way to synthesize substituted hydrazones. The salient features of this reaction include difluorinated hydrazone synthesis rather than classical amine synthesis, extremely mild reaction conditions, high efficiency, wide substrate scope, ease in further transformations of the products, and one-pot syntheses. Mechanistic analyses and theoretical calculations indicate that this reaction is enabled by a novel aminyl radical/polar crossover mechanism, with the aminyl radical being oxidized into the corresponding aminyl cation through a single electron transfer (SET) process.

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.

Facile Access to Fluoromethylated Arenes by Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling between Arylboronic Acids and Fluoromethyl Bromide

The nickel-catalyzed fluoromethylation of arylboronic acids was achieved with the industrial raw material fluoromethyl bromide (CH2 FBr) as the coupling partner. The reaction proceeded under mild reaction conditions with high efficiency; it features the use of a low-cost nickel catalyst, synthetic simplicity, and excellent functional-group compatibility, and provides facile access to fluoromethylated biologically relevant molecules. Preliminary mechanistic studies showed that a single-electron-transfer (SET) pathway is involved in the catalytic cycle.

Nickel-catalyzed monofluoromethylation of aryl boronic acids

Aryl boronic acids can be monofluoromethylated under nickel catalysis. The utility of this method is demonstrated by the monofluoromethylation of a borylated and acyl-protected derivative of the statin drug ezetimibe. Mechanistic investigations indicate that a fluoromethyl radical is involved in the Ni(I)/Ni(III) catalytic cycle.

Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular C-H difluoroalkylation: synthesis of substituted 3,3-difluoro-2-oxindoles

The synthesis of 3,3-difluoro-2-oxindoles through a robust and efficient palladium-catalyzed CH difluoroalkylation is described. This process generates a broad range of difluorooxindoles from readily prepared starting materials. The use of BrettPhos as the ligand was crucial for high efficiency. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that oxidative addition is the rate-determining step for this process.