Photochemical generation of difluoromethyl radicals having various functional groups and their highly regioselective addition to olefins and aromatic substitution

Recent Advances in Electrochemical Systems for Selective Fluorination of Organic Compounds

Organofluorine compounds are key materials applied in daily life because of their versatile utility as functional materials, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. Development of the selective fluorination of organic molecules under safe conditions is therefore one of the most important subjects in modern synthetic organofluorine chemistry. Thus, various electrophilic fluorination reagents such as XeF₂, (PhSO₂)₂NF (NFSI), Et₂NSF₃ (DAST), (MeOCH₂CH₂)₂NSF₃ (Deoxofluor), 1-chloromethyl-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo-[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate) (Selectfluor), N-fluoropyridinium salts, and 4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenylsulfur trifluoride (Fluolead) have been developed for chemical fluorination to date and the development of new fluorinating reagents is still ongoing. Electrochemical synthesis has recently attracted much attention from the perspective of green sustainable chemistry because no hazardous reagents are required and scale-up is generally easy. Although electrochemical perfluorination of organic compounds using a nickel anode in anhydrous HF has been well-established to manufacture perfluoro-functional materials, electrochemical partial fluorination (selective electrochemical fluorination) has been underdeveloped due to the low nucleophilicity of fluoride ions and anode passivation, which interferes with electrolysis. Selective electrochemical fluorination can be commonly achieved in aprotic solvents containing fluoride ions to provide mostly mono- and difluorinated products. Electrolysis is conducted at constant potentials slightly higher than the first oxidation potential of a substrate. Constant current electrolysis is also effective for selective fluorination in many cases. Choice of the combination of a supporting fluoride salt and an electrolytic solvent is most important to accomplish efficient selective fluorination. In this Account, we focus on our recent work on the electrochemical mono- and difluorination of various organic compounds and their synthetic application. We first briefly explain our research background of electrochemical fluorination. Main factors such as the effects of fluoride salts as supporting electrolytes, electrolytic solvents, and anode materials on the selectivity and efficiency of fluorination are discussed. Next, effects of PEG oligomer additives enhancing the nucleophilicity of fluoride ions and organic solvent-free systems using poly(HF) salt ionic liquids as well as recyclable mediatory systems for electrochemical fluorination are described. The desulfurizative monofluorination of xanthate and gem-difluorination of benzothioate and dithioacetals are briefly mentioned. Regioselective anodic fluorination of various heterocyclic compounds having a phenylthio group as electroauxiliary and heterocycles containing sulfur and other heteroatoms are also described. In addition, a boryl group is shown to be a good leaving group for anodic fluorination. Moreover, electrochemically α,α-difluorinated phenylsulfides and phenylselenides are illustrated to be useful for photochemical C-H difluoromethylation of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds. Finally, this Account also highlights highly diastereoselective fluorination of aliphatic heterocyclic and open-chain compounds, as well as new electrolytic fluorination methods using inorganic fluoride salts such as KF and CsF.

Photocatalytic Difluoromethylation Reactions of Aromatic Compounds and Aliphatic Multiple C-C Bonds

Among the realm of visible light photocatalytic transformations, late-stage difluoromethylation reactions (introduction of difluoromethyl groups in the last stages of synthetic protocols) have played relevant roles as the CF2X group substitutions exert positive impacts on the physical properties of organic compounds including solubility, metabolic stability, and lipophilicity, which are tenets of considerable importance in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and materials science. Visible-light-photocatalyzed difluoromethylation reactions are shown to be accomplished on (hetero)aromatic and carbon-carbon unsaturated aliphatic substrates under mild and environmentally benign conditions.

Synthesis of C2-Symmetric gem-Difluoromethylenated Angular Triquinanes

A synthesis of symmetrical gem-difluoromethylenated angular triquinanes is described. The synthetic strategy involved sequential fluoride-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of PhSCF₂SiMe₃ (1) to 2,2-diallylated or 2,2-dipropargylated indane-1,3-diones 2 followed by stereoselective radical cyclization of the resulting adducts 3 to provide the cyclized gem-difluoromethylenated diquinanes 4 as a mixture of stereoisomers. Repeated addition of 1 to 4 followed by cyclization resulted in the stereoselective synthesis of the desired C₂-symmetric gem-difluoromethylenated angular triquinanes 6 in good yields with high stereoselectivity.

Photoinduced difunctionalization of 2,3-dihydrofuran for the efficient synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans

An efficient photoinduced multicomponent difunctionalization of 2,3-dihydrofuran has been developed for the synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans under mild reaction conditions.

Recent advances in photoinduced trifluoromethylation and difluoroalkylation

Recent advances in photoinduced trifluoromethylation and difluoroalkylation under photocatalysis are summarized. Most of the photoredox reactions proceed efficiently under mild conditions with simple operation. Various fluorinated reagents are developed and applied in different transformations.

Highly selective gem-difluoroallylation of organoborons with bromodifluoromethylated alkenes catalyzed by palladium

A first example of Pd-catalyzed gem-difluoroallylation of organoborons using 3-bromo-3,3-difluoropropene (BDFP) in high efficiency with high α/γ-substitution regioselectivity has been developed. The reaction can also be extended to substituted BDFPs and has advantages of low catalyst loading (0.8 to 0.01 mol %), broad substrate scope, and excellent functional group compatibility, thus providing a facile route for practical application in drug discovery and development.

An efficient regioselective hydrodifluoromethylation of unactivated alkenes with TMSCF2CO2Et at ambient temperature

An efficient regioselective hydrodifluoromethylation of diverse unactivated vicinal alkenes is described. The primary mechanistic investigations indicate that a CF₂COOEt radical species is involved.

Addition of electrophilic radicals to 2-benzyloxyglycals: synthesis and functionalization of fluorinated α-C-glycosides and derivatives

A new method for the synthesis of fluorinated α-C-glycosides is described. The reactions between highly electrophilic radicals (fluorinated or unfluorinated) and a 2-benzyloxyglucal or galactal provide 2-keto-D-arabino- or 2-keto-D-lyxo-hexopyranosides through an addition/fragmentation process. Sodium borohydride mediated or Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction of these compounds provides α-C-glycosides that feature appropriate anchoring groups for further synthetic elaboration. The presence of CF2 CO2 iPr or CF2 Br groups at the pseudo-anomeric position allows efficient reduction/olefination or Br/Li-exchange/nucleophilic-addition sequences. These transformations open the way for the synthesis of fluorinated C-glycosidic analogues of glycoconjugates.