Palladium-Catalyzed Allylic Fluorination

Strategies for Nucleophilic C(sp3)-(Radio)Fluorination

This Perspective surveys the progress and current limitations of nucleophilic fluorination methodologies. Despite the long and rich history of C(sp³)-F bond construction in chemical research, the inherent challenges associated with this transformation have largely constrained nucleophilic fluorination to a privileged reaction platform. In recent years, the Doyle group─along with many others─has pursued the study and development of this transformation with the intent of generating deeper mechanistic understanding, developing user-friendly fluorination reagents, and contributing to the invention of synthetic methods capable of enabling radiofluorination. Studies from our laboratory are discussed along with recent developments from others in this field. Fluoride reagent development and the mechanistic implications of reagent identity are highlighted. We also outline the chemical space inaccessible by current synthetic technologies and a series of future directions in the field that can potentially fill the existing dark spaces.

Reagents for Selective Fluoromethylation: A Challenge in Organofluorine Chemistry

The introduction of a monofluoromethyl moiety has undoubtedly become a very important area of research in recent years. Owing to the beneficial properties of organofluorine compounds, such as their metabolic stability, the incorporation of the CH2 F group as a bioisosteric substitute for various functional groups is an attractive strategy for the discovery of new pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the monofluoromethyl unit is also widely used in agrochemistry, in pharmaceutical chemistry, and in fine chemicals. The problems associated with climate change and the growing need for environmentally friendly industrial processes mean that alternatives to the frequently used CFC and HFBC fluoromethylating agents (CH2 FCl and CH2 FBr) are urgently needed and also required by the Montreal Protocol. This has recently prompted many researchers to develop alternative fluoromethylation agents. This Minireview summarizes both the classical and new generation of fluoromethylating agents. Reagents that act via electrophilic, nucleophilic, and radical pathways are discussed, in addition to their precursors.

Chemistry for Positron Emission Tomography: Recent Advances in 11 C-, 18 F-, 13 N-, and 15 O-Labeling Reactions

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular imaging technology that provides quantitative information about function and metabolism in biological processes in vivo for disease diagnosis and therapy assessment. The broad application and rapid advances of PET has led to an increased demand for new radiochemical methods to synthesize highly specific molecules bearing positron-emitting radionuclides. This Review provides an overview of commonly used labeling reactions through examples of clinically relevant PET tracers and highlights the most recent developments and breakthroughs over the past decade, with a focus on 11 C, 18 F, 13 N, and 15 O.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Tertiary Allylic Fluorides by Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Fluoroalkylation

Few allylic electrophiles containing two different substituents at a single allyl terminus and none in which one of the two substituents is a heteroatom, have been shown previously to react with iridium catalysts to form substitution products. We report that iridium-catalysts are uniquely suited to form tertiary allylic fluorides enantioselectively by the addition of a diverse range of carbon-centered nucleophiles at the fluorine-containing terminus of 3-fluoro-substituted allylic esters. The products contain tertiary stereogenic centers bearing a single fluorine, which are isosteric with common tertiary stereocenters containing a single hydrogen. Computational studies reveal the principal steric interactions influencing the stability of endo and exo π-allyl intermediates formed from 3,3-disubstituted allylic electrophiles.

The Versatile Behavior of Platinum Alkyne Complexes towards XeF2 : Formation of Fluorovinyl and Fluorido Complexes

Reactions of platinum(0) tolane complexes, bearing a chelating ligand with P and N donor atoms, with the electrophilic fluorinating agent XeF₂ give facile access to platinum(II) β-fluorovinyl fluorido complexes. A series of new platinum(II) β-fluorovinyl complexes have been synthesized and were structurally characterized. Further oxidation with XeF₂ led to ortho-metalated platinum(IV) fluorido compounds. Additional reactions of platinum(0) tolane complexes, bearing a chelating P,P donor ligand, with XeF₂ led to a variety of fluorido and fluorovinyl complexes.

Synthesis of (18) F-Difluoromethylarenes from Aryl (Pseudo) Halides

A general method for the synthesis of [(18) F]difluoromethylarenes from [(18) F]fluoride for radiopharmaceutical discovery is reported. The method is practical, operationally simple, tolerates a wide scope of functional groups, and enables the labeling of a variety of arenes and heteroarenes with radiochemical yields (RCYs, not decay-corrected) from 10 to 60 %. The (18) F-fluorination precursors are readily prepared from aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and triflates. Seven (18) F-difluoromethylarene drug analogues and radiopharmaceuticals including Claritin, fluoxetine (Prozac), and [(18) F]DAA1106 were synthesized to show the potential of the method for applications in PET radiopharmaceutical design.

Asymmetric 18F-fluorination for applications in positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) is becoming more frequently used by medicinal chemists to facilitate the selection of the most promising lead compounds for further evaluation. For PET, this entails the preparation of 11C- or 18F-labeled drugs or radioligands. With the importance of chirality and fluorine substitution in drug development, chemists can be faced with the challenge of preparing enantiopure molecules featuring the 18F-tag on a stereogenic carbon. Asymmetric 18F-fluorination is an emerging field of research that provides an alternative to resolution or conventional SN2-based radiochemistry. To date, both transition metal complexes and organomediators have been successfully employed for 18F-incorporation at a stereogenic carbon.

Organomediated Enantioselective (18)F Fluorination for PET Applications

The first organomediated asymmetric (18)F fluorination has been accomplished using a chiral imidazolidinone and [(18)F]N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide. The method provides access to enantioenriched (18)F-labeled α-fluoroaldehydes (>90% ee), which are versatile chiral (18)F synthons for the synthesis of radiotracers. The utility of this process is demonstrated with the synthesis of the PET (positron emission tomography) tracer (2S,4S)-4-[(18)F]fluoroglutamic acid.

(18)F-Labeling of Aryl-SCF3, -OCF3 and -OCHF2 with [(18)F]Fluoride

We report that halogenophilic silver(I) triflate permits halogen exchange (halex) nucleophilic (18)F-fluorination of aryl-OCHFCl, -OCF2Br and -SCF2Br precursors under mild conditions. This Ag(I)-mediated process allows for the first time access to a range of (18)F-labeled aryl-OCHF2, -OCF3 and -SCF3 derivatives, inclusive of [(18)F]riluzole. The (18)F-labeling of these medicinally important motifs expands the radiochemical space available for PET applications.

Consecutive C-F bond activation and C-F bond formation of heteroaromatics at rhodium: the peculiar role of FSi(OEt)3

C-F activation of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine at [Rh{Si(OEt)3}(PEt3)3] (1) yields [Rh{2-(3,5,6-C5F3HN)}(PEt3)3] (2) and FSi(OEt)3, but in an unprecedented consecutive reaction FSi(OEt)3 acts as a fluoride source to give [Rh(4-C5F4N)(PEt3)3] (4) by regeneration of the C-F bond and C-H activation. Analogous refluorination steps were observed for other 2-pyridyl rhodium complexes. NMR spectroscopic studies revealed a delicate balance between the feasibility for C-F bond formation accompanied by a C-H activation and the occurrence of competing reactions such as hydrodefluorinations induced by the intermediary presence of H2.

Late-stage fluorination: fancy novelty or useful tool?

Charming fluorine: This Essay examines the recent surge in late-stage fluorination reactions and outlines challenges that need to be overcome to increase the impact of modern fluorination methods on the synthesis of complex organofluorine compounds. It is outlined how an improved understanding of the bonding interactions of fluoride could lead to a new class of mild fluorinating reagents and a range of functional-group-tolerant reactions.

Late-stage [18F]Fluorination: New Solutions to Old Problems

The last 2-3 years have seen numerous relationships develop between organometallic chemists, fluorine chemists and PET Centers around the world. These collaborations have led to the development of many new strategies for the late-stage introduction of fluorine-18 into complex bioactive molecules. In this perspective we highlight recent developments and key milestones since 2011.

Mild copper-catalyzed fluorination of alkyl triflates with potassium fluoride

A chemoselective catalytic fluorination of alkyl triflates is described using potassium fluoride as a fluoride source. Excellent yields of the desired alkyl fluorides are obtained after one hour at 45 °C using 2 mol% of the copper catalyst. With 10 mol% of the catalyst, full conversion can be achieved in less than 10 minutes at 45 °C, and thus makes this procedure potentially suited for the preparation of (18) F-labeled PET probes. As a result of the mild reaction conditions, only the substitution products are observed with no evidence of common side reactions, such as elimination. Reported is a preliminary study of the reaction scope, which demonstrates that the fluorination can be performed in the presence of a wide range of functional groups. Evidence suggests an unusual role of the [IPrCuOTf] catalyst as a phase-transfer catalyst and points to [IPrCuF] as the active fluorinating reagent (IPr=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene).

Introduction of fluorine and fluorine-containing functional groups

Over the past decade, the most significant, conceptual advances in the field of fluorination were enabled most prominently by organo- and transition-metal catalysis. The most challenging transformation remains the formation of the parent C-F bond, primarily as a consequence of the high hydration energy of fluoride, strong metal-fluorine bonds, and highly polarized bonds to fluorine. Most fluorination reactions still lack generality, predictability, and cost-efficiency. Despite all current limitations, modern fluorination methods have made fluorinated molecules more readily available than ever before and have begun to have an impact on research areas that do not require large amounts of material, such as drug discovery and positron emission tomography. This Review gives a brief summary of conventional fluorination reactions, including those reactions that introduce fluorinated functional groups, and focuses on modern developments in the field.

Copper-catalyzed regioselective fluorination of allylic halides

Group activity: A novel copper-catalyzed fluorination of internal allylic bromides and chlorides has been developed by using Et3N⋅3 HF as the fluorine source. A functional group (FG) within the substrate is required to achieve the allylic fluorination, and a variety of secondary allylic fluoride compounds can be accessed in good yield with excellent regioselectivity.

Manganese-catalyzed oxidative benzylic C-H fluorination by fluoride ions

An efficient protocol for the selective fluorination of benzylic C-H bonds is described. The process is catalyzed by manganese salen complexes and uses nucleophilic fluorine sources, such as triethylamine trihydrofluoride and KF. Reaction rates are sufficiently high (30 min) to allow adoption for the incorporation of (18)F fluoride sources for PET imaging applications.

Carbon(sp(3))-fluorine bond-forming reductive elimination from palladium(IV) complexes

Pd(IV)-fluoride complexes, some of which are remarkably insensitive to water, have been synthesized and used in the title reaction, which proceeds with high selectivity to give the product of the C(sp(3))-F coupling. Preliminary mechanistic studies implicate a pathway involving dissociation of pyridine followed by direct C-F coupling at the Pd center.