Structure, Reactivity, and Chemistry of Fluoroalkyl Radicals

Synthesis and properties of poly(trifluoroethylene)viaa persistent radical mediated polymerization of trifluoroethylene

Poly(trifluoroethylene) exhibiting excellent thermal stability was synthesized by the radical polymerization of trifluoroethylene initiated by an innovative persistent radical.

Light-mediated iodoperfluoroalkylation of alkenes/alkynes catalyzed by chloride ions: role of halogen bonding

A catalytic amount of chloride ions greatly facilitates the UVA-mediated iodoperfluoroalkylation of alkenes and alkynes.

Syntheses of 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylate-containing block copolymers via RAFT polymerization using a universal chain transfer agent

2-(Trifluoromethyl)acrylate-containing block copolymers were synthesized via RAFT polymerization using a universal CTA.

A direct route from white phosphorus and fluorous alkyl and aryl iodides to the corresponding trialkyl- and triarylphosphines

The title reaction is effected with samarium(ii) reductants that generate fluorous radicals that add to P₄ with phosphorus–phosphorus bond cleavage.

Syntheses, structures, and stabilities of aliphatic and aromatic fluorous iodine(I) and iodine(III) compounds: the role of iodine Lewis basicity

The title molecules are sought in connection with various synthetic applications. The aliphatic fluorous alcohols Rfn CH2OH (Rfn = CF3(CF2) n-1; n = 11, 13, 15) are converted to the triflates Rfn CH2OTf (Tf2O, pyridine; 22-61%) and then to Rfn CH2I (NaI, acetone; 58-69%). Subsequent reactions with NaOCl/HCl give iodine(III) dichlorides Rfn CH2ICl2 (n = 11, 13; 33-81%), which slowly evolve Cl2. The ethereal fluorous alcohols CF3CF2CF2O(CF(CF3)CF2O) x CF(CF3)CH2OH (x = 2-5) are similarly converted to triflates and then to iodides, but efforts to generate the corresponding dichlorides fail. Substrates lacking a methylene group, Rfn I, are also inert, but additions of TMSCl to bis(trifluoroacetates) Rfn I(OCOCF3)2 appear to generate Rfn ICl2, which rapidly evolve Cl2. The aromatic fluorous iodides 1,3-Rf6C6H4I, 1,4-Rf6C6H4I, and 1,3-Rf10C6H4I are prepared from the corresponding diiodides, copper, and Rfn I (110-130 °C, 50-60%), and afford quite stable Rfn C6H4ICl2 species upon reaction with NaOCl/HCl (80-89%). Iodinations of 1,3-(Rf6)2C6H4 and 1,3-(Rf8CH2CH2)2C6H4 (NIS or I2/H5IO6) give 1,3,5-(Rf6)2C6H3I and 1,2,4-(Rf8CH2CH2)2C6H3I (77-93%). The former, the crystal structure of which is determined, reacts with Cl2 to give a 75:25 ArICl2/ArI mixture, but partial Cl2 evolution occurs upon work-up. The latter gives the easily isolated dichloride 1,2,4-(Rf8CH2CH2)2C6H3ICl2 (89%). The relative thermodynamic ease of dichlorination of these and other iodine(I) compounds is probed by DFT calculations.

Metal-free and light-promoted radical iodotrifluoromethylation of alkenes with Togni reagent as the source of CF3 and iodine

Iodotrifluoromethylation of alkenes is effectively conducted by combining benzophenone, “black light”, isopropanol and Togni reagent 1 as the source of both the CF₃ group and iodine atom.

Fine Design of Photoredox Systems for Catalytic Fluoromethylation of Carbon-Carbon Multiple Bonds

Trifluoromethyl (CF3) and difluoromethyl (CF2H) groups are versatile structural motifs, especially in the fields of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Thus, the development of new protocols for tri- and difluoromethylation of various skeletons has become a vital subject to be studied in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. For the past decades, a variety of fluoromethylating reagents have been developed. In particular, bench-stable and easy-to-use electrophilic fluoromethylating reagents such as the Umemoto, Yagupolskii-Umemoto, Togni, and Hu reagents serve as excellent fluoromethyl sources for ionic and carbenoid reactions. Importantly, the action of catalysis has become a promising strategy for developing new fluoromethylations. For the past several years, photoredox catalysis has emerged as a useful tool for radical reactions through visible-light-induced single-electron-transfer (SET) processes. Commonly used photocatalysts such as [Ru(bpy)3](2+) and fac-[Ir(ppy)3] (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; ppy = 2-pyridylphenyl) have potential as one-electron reductants strong enough to reduce those fluoromethylating reagents, resulting in facile generation of the corresponding fluoromethyl radicals. Therefore, if we can design proper reaction systems, efficient and selective radical fluoromethylation would proceed without any sacrificial redox agents, i.e., via a redox-neutral process under mild reaction conditions: irradiation with visible light, including sunlight, below room temperature. It should be noted that examples of catalytic fluoromethylation of compounds with carbon-carbon multiple bonds have been limited until recent years. In this Account, we will focus on our recent research on photoredox-catalyzed fluoromethylation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds. First, choices of the photocatalyst and the fluoromethylating reagent and the basic concept involving a redox-neutral oxidative quenching cycle are explained. Then photocatalytic trifluoromethylation of olefins is discussed mainly. Trifluoromethylative difunctionalization reactions, i.e., simultaneous introduction of the CF3 group and a different functional group across carbon-carbon double bonds, are in the middle of the discussion. Oxy-, amino-, and ketotrifluoromethylation allow us to synthesize various organofluorine compounds bearing C(sp(3))-CF3 bonds. In addition, the synthesis of valuable trifluoromethylated alkenes is also viable when the olefins have an appropriate leaving group or undergo deprotonation. The present reaction system features high functional group compatibility and high regioselectivity. Furthermore, future prospects, especially trifluoromethylative difunctionalization of alkynes and difluoromethylation of alkenes, are also discussed.

Photochemical Perfluoroalkylation with Pyridine N-Oxides: Mechanistic Insights and Performance on a Kilogram Scale

The direct trifluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes is a process of high importance to the pharmaceutical industry. Many reagents exist for this purpose and have found widespread use in discovery efforts; however, the step-intensive preparation of these reagents and their corresponding cost have resulted in minimal use of these methods in large-scale applications. For the ready transition of direct trifluoromethylation methodologies to large-scale application, the further development of processes utilizing inexpensive CF₃ sources available on a metric ton scale is highly desirable. We report the use of pyridine N-oxide derivatives in concert with trifluoroacetic anhydride to promote a high-yielding and scalable trifluoromethylation reaction. Key mechanistic insights include the observation of electron donor-acceptor complexes in solution as well as a high dependence on photon flux. These observations have culminated in the application of this chemistry on a kilogram scale, demonstrating the utility of this reagent combination for preparative applications.

Aqueous-Medium Carbon-Carbon Bond-Forming Radical Reactions Catalyzed by Excited Rhodamine B as a Metal-Free Organic Dye under Visible Light Irradiation

The utility of rhodamine B as a water-soluble organic photocatalyst was studied in the cascade radical addition-cyclization-trapping reactions under visible light irradiation. In the presence of (i-Pr)2NEt, the electron transfer from the excited rhodamine B to perfluoroalkyl iodides proceeded smoothly to promote the carbon-carbon bond-forming radical reactions in aqueous media. When i-C3F7I was employed as a radical precursor, the aqueous-medium radical reactions proceeded even in the absence of (i-Pr)2NEt. In these reactions, the direct electron transfer from the excited singlet state of rhodamine B would take place. Furthermore, the cleavage of the C-I bond in less reactive i-PrI could be achieved by the reductive electron transfer from the excited rhodamine B, which was confirmed by the fluorescence quenching of rhodamine B with the addition of i-PrI.

Operationally simple hydrotrifluoromethylation of alkenes with sodium triflinate enabled by Ir photoredox catalysis

We report herein a single component Ir photoredox catalyst which is capable of catalyzing the hydrotrifluoromethylation of terminal alkenes and Michael acceptors with sodium triflinate (Langlois reagent) in methanol under irradiation at room temperature. Various synthetically useful functional groups, including ester, amide, ether, aldehyde, sulfone, ketone and aryl boronate, are well tolerated in this reaction.

Antioxidant properties in a non-polar environment of difluoromethyl bioisosteres of methyl hydroxycinnamates

OBJECTIVES

Many natural antioxidants have poor pharmacokinetic properties that impair their therapeutic use. For hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) and other phenolic antioxidants, their major drawback is their low lipophilicity and a rapid metabolism. The difluoromethyl group may be considered as a 'lipophilic hydroxyl' due to its hydrogen bond donor and acceptor properties; this prompted us to assess it as a bioisosteric replacement of a phenolic hydroxyl for increasing the lipophilicity of HCAs.

METHODS

Six difluoromethyl-substituted methyl cinnamates (4a-c, 5a-c) related to caffeic acid were synthesized and their antioxidant activity evaluated by chemical (FRAP, DPPH scavenging, inhibition of β-carotene bleaching, at 1-200 μm), electrochemical (differential pulse voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry) and cell-based (inhibition of lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes, at 1 and 50 μm) assays.

KEY FNDINGS

Analogues 4a-c and 5a-c were inactive in FRAP and DPPH assays and only those containing a free phenolic hydroxyl (4a and 5a) exhibited electrochemical activity although with high redox potentials. Compounds 4a,b and 5a,b were active in the inhibition of β-carotene bleaching assay and all analogues inhibited lipid peroxidation in the human erythrocytes assay.

CONCLUSIONS

Lipophilic difluoromethyl-substituted cinnamic esters retain radical scavenging capabilities that prove useful to confer antioxidant properties in a non-polar environment.

Radical perfluoroalkylation – easy access to 2-perfluoroalkylindol-3-imines via electron catalysis

Arylisonitriles react with alkyl and perfluoroalkyl radicals to form 2-alkylated indole-3-iminesviatwo sequential additions to the isonitrile moiety followed by homolytic aromatic substitution.

Determination of rate constants for trifluoromethyl radical addition to various alkenes via a practical method

A simple method for the determination of CF3-radical addition rate constants to various π-acceptors is introduced.

Radical-mediated divergent cyclization of benzamides toward perfluorinated or cyanated isoquinolinediones

A simple and efficient copper-controlled divergent cyclization of benzamides, which leads to perfluorinated or cyanated isoquinolinediones, is developed.

UV light-mediated difunctionalization of alkenes with CF3SO2Na: synthesis of trifluoromethyl phenanthrene and anthrone derivatives

A metal-free and cost-effective protocol for UV light-mediated difunctionalization of alkenes with CF₃SO₂Na was developed.

Versatile Enantioselective Synthesis of Functionalized Lactones via Copper-Catalyzed Radical Oxyfunctionalization of Alkenes

A versatile method for the rapid synthesis of diverse enantiomerically enriched lactones has been developed based on Cu-catalyzed enantioselective radical oxyfunctionalization of alkenes. The scope of this strategy encompasses a series of enantioselective difunctionalization reactions: oxyazidation, oxysulfonylation, oxyarylation, diacyloxylation, and oxyalkylation. These reactions provide straightforward access to a wide range of useful chiral lactone building blocks containing tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers, which are hard to access traditionally.

Nickel-Catalyzed Alkyl-Alkyl Cross-Couplings of Fluorinated Secondary Electrophiles: A General Approach to the Synthesis of Compounds having a Perfluoroalkyl Substituent

Fluorinated organic molecules are of interest in fields ranging from medicinal chemistry to polymer science. Described herein is a mild, convenient, and versatile method for the synthesis of compounds bearing a perfluoroalkyl group attached to a tertiary carbon atom by using an alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling. A nickel catalyst derived from NiCl2 ⋅glyme and a pybox ligand achieves the coupling of a wide range of fluorinated alkyl halides with alkylzinc reagents at room temperature. A broad array of functional groups is compatible with the reaction conditions, and highly selective couplings can be achieved on the basis of differing levels of fluorination. A mechanistic investigation has established that the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) inhibits cross-coupling under these conditions and that a TEMPO-electrophile adduct can be isolated.

Mechanistic Investigation of the Radical S-Adenosyl-L-methionine Enzyme DesII Using Fluorinated Analogues

DesII is a radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzyme that can act as a deaminase or a dehydrogenase depending on the nature of its TDP-sugar substrate. Previous work has implicated a substrate-derived, C3-centered α-hydroxyalkyl radical as a key intermediate during catalysis. Although deprotonation of the α-hydroxyalkyl radical has been shown to be important for dehydrogenation, much less is known regarding the course of the deamination reaction. To investigate the role played by the C3 hydroxyl during deamination, 3-deutero-3-fluoro analogues of both substrates were prepared and characterized with DesII. In neither case was deamination or oxidation observed; however, in both cases deuterium was efficiently exchanged between the substrate analogues and SAM. These results imply that the C3 hydroxyl plays a key role in both reactions—thereby arguing against a 1,2-migration mechanism of deamination—and that homolysis of SAM concomitant with H atom abstraction from the substrate is readily reversible when forward partitioning is inhibited.

Dividing a complex reaction involving a hypervalent iodine reagent into three limiting mechanisms by ab initio molecular dynamics

The electrophilic N-trifluoromethylation of MeCN with a hypervalent iodine reagent to form a nitrilium ion, that is rapidly trapped by an azole nucleophile, is thought to occur via reductive elimination (RE). A recent study showed that, depending on the solvent representation, the S(N)2 is favoured to a different extent over the RE. However, there is a discriminative solvent effect present, which calls for a statistical mechanics approach to fully account for the entropic contributions. In this study, we perform metadynamic simulations for two trifluoromethylation reactions (with N- and S-nucleophiles), showing that the RE mechanism is always favoured in MeCN solution. These computations also indicate that a radical mechanism (single electron transfer) may play an important role. The computational protocol based on accelerated molecular dynamics for the exploration of the free energy surface is transferable and will be applied to similar reactions to investigate other electrophiles on the reagent. Based on the activation parameters determined, this approach also gives insight into the mechanistic details of the trifluoromethylation and shows that these commonly known mechanisms mark the limits within which the reaction proceeds.