Current State of Microflow Trifluoromethylation Reactions

The trifluoromethyl group is a powerful structural motif in drugs and polymers; thus, developing trifluoromethylation reactions is an important area of research in organic chemistry. Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made in developing new methods for the trifluoromethylation of organic molecules, ranging from nucleophilic and electrophilic approaches to transition-metal catalysis, photocatalysis, and electrolytic reactions. While these reactions were initially developed in batch systems, more recent microflow versions are highly attractive for industrial applications owing to their scalability, safety, and time efficiency. In this review, we discuss the current state of microflow trifluoromethylation. Approaches for microflow trifluoromethylation based on different trifluoromethylation reagents are described, including continuous flow, flow photochemical, microfluidic electrochemical reactions, and large-scale microflow reactions.

Ex-situ generation and synthetic utilization of bare trifluoromethyl anion in flow via rapid biphasic mixing

Fluoroform (CF₃H) is the simplest reagent for nucleophilic trifluoromethylation intermediated by trifluoromethyl anion (CF₃^-). However, it has been well-known that CF₃^- should be generated in presence of a stabilizer or reaction partner (in-situ method) due to its short lifetime, which results in the fundamental limitation on its synthetic utilization. We herein report a bare CF₃^- can be ex-situ generated and directly used for the synthesis of diverse trifluoromethylated compounds in a devised flow dissolver for rapid biphasic mixing of gaseous CF₃H and liquid reagents that was designed and structurally optimized by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In flow, various substrates including multi-functional compounds were chemoselectively reacted with CF₃^-, extending to the multi-gram-scale synthesis of valuable compounds by 1-hour operation of the integrated flow system.

Gas/Liquid-Phase Micro-Flow Trifluoromethylation using Fluoroform: Trifluoromethylation of Aldehydes, Ketones, Chalcones, and N-Sulfinylimines

A micro-flow nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds using gaseous fluoroform was developed. This method also allows the first micro-flow transformation of N-sulfinylimines into trifluoromethyl amines with excellent diastereoselectivity. To demonstrate the synthetic utility of this micro-flow synthesis, the formal micro-flow synthesis of Efavirenz is described.

Anion-Initiated Trifluoromethylation by TMSCF3: Deconvolution of the Siliconate-Carbanion Dichotomy by Stopped-Flow NMR/IR

The mechanism of CF3 transfer from R3SiCF3 (R = Me, Et, iPr) to ketones and aldehydes, initiated by M+X- (<0.004 to 10 mol %), has been investigated by analysis of kinetics (variable-ratio stopped-flow NMR and IR), 13C/2H KIEs, LFER, addition of ligands (18-c-6, crypt-222), and density functional theory calculations. The kinetics, reaction orders, and selectivity vary substantially with reagent (R3SiCF3) and initiator (M+X-). Traces of exogenous inhibitors present in the R3SiCF3 reagents, which vary substantially in proportion and identity between batches and suppliers, also affect the kinetics. Some reactions are complete in milliseconds, others take hours, and others stall before completion. Despite these differences, a general mechanism has been elucidated in which the product alkoxide and CF3- anion act as chain carriers in an anionic chain reaction. Silyl enol ether generation competes with 1,2-addition and involves protonation of CF3- by the α-C-H of the ketone and the OH of the enol. The overarching mechanism for trifluoromethylation by R3SiCF3, in which pentacoordinate siliconate intermediates are unable to directly transfer CF3- as a nucleophile or base, rationalizes why the turnover rate (per M+X- initiator) depends on the initial concentration (but not identity) of X-, the identity (but not concentration) of M+, the identity of the R3SiCF3 reagent, and the carbonyl/R3SiCF3 ratio. It also rationalizes which R3SiCF3 reagent effects the most rapid trifluoromethylation, for a specific M+X- initiator.

Grignard-mediated rearrangement of trifluoroacetyl from dihydroisoquinoline enamides to afford tertiary trifluoromethylcarbinols

Treatment of the trifluoroacetyl enamides of dihydroisoquinolines 2 with diverse Grignard reagents afforded tertiary trifluoromethyl-carbinols 4 by facilitating the addition of tertiary carbinols to the β-carbon of enamides 2. Based on the confirmed formation of vinylogous amides 3, the transformation likely proceeds via unique acyl group rearrangement to the β-carbon of the enamide and subsequent nucleophilic addition of the Grignard reagent. Given the synthetic utility and novelty of this reaction, this work may open new avenues for the synthesis of pharmaceutically important tertiary trifluoromethylcarbinols on cyclic enamide systems.

Nucleophilic fluorination facilitated by a CsF–CaF2 packed bed reactor in continuous flow

A simple to prepare, dry and handle packed bed reactor carrying CsF on CaF₂, towards nucleophilic fluorinations in continuous flow, is reported.