Introduction of several trifluoromethyl groups onto the activated aromatic materials with CF3TMS-CuI-KF system

Trifluoromethylation onto the tetrafluorophthalonitrile and tetrafluoroisophthalonitrile has been carried out using CF₃TMS-CuI-KF system, and it was demonstrated that these trifluoromethylation enabled us to successfully construct di- and/or tri-trifluoromethylated benzonitriles via the decyanotrifluoromethylation.     

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of benzylzinc reagents with 2-bromo-3,3,3-trifluoropropene

α-Trifluoromethyl alkenes can be used as peptide isosteres, moreover, the pre-installed vinyl group make it possible that transformation to diverse fluorine-containing unities. However, the cross-coupling of benzyl group with α-trifluoromethyl alkenes has yet to be developed. In this report, we describe a general method for the cross-coupling of benzylzinc reagents with 2-bromo-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (BTP) to afford diverse α-trifluoromethylalkene derivatives by using Pd(TFA)₂ as catalyst. This method takes advantage of cheap industrial available fluorine building blocks and easily prepared benzylzinc reagents to generate α-trifluoromethylalkene derivatives, which features with mild reaction conditions, wide substrate scope and feasibility of product transformations.     

Pressure effect on heterogeneous trifluoromethylation of fullerenes and its application

The first systematic study of heterogeneous fullerene trifluoromethylation using an innovative gradient-temperature gas-solid reactor revealed a significant effect of CF₃I pressure on the conversion of C₆₀ and C₇₀ into trifluoromethylated products and on the range of fullerene(CF₃)_n compositions that were obtained. The design of the reactor allowed us to lower the residence times of fullerene(CF₃)_n species in the hot zone which resulted in the significant differences in relative isomeric distributions as compared to the earlier methods. For the first time, gram quantities of trifluoromethylated fullerenes were prepared using the new reactor, and the selective synthesis of a single-isomer C₆₀(CF₃)₂ was developed. The relative reactivity of C₇₀ as a CF₃ radical scavenger was found to be much lower than that of C₆₀, especially at an early radical addition stage, which led to the cost-efficient synthesis of C₆₀(CF₃)₂ from a fullerene extract.     

Novel addition in trifluoromethylation of [70]fullerene

Pyrolytic trifluoromethylation of [70]fullerene with CF₃CO₂Ag at 300 °C results in the addition of up to 12 CF₃ groups to the fullerene cage. Forty-six C₇₀(CF₃)_n derivatives (numbers in parentheses) were separated by two-stage high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) as follows: n = 2(2), 4(16), 6(9), 8(14) 10(5), some being characterised by NMR. The range of derivatives is much greater than for other [70]fullerene reactions, and as with [60]fullerene trifluoromethylation, no single derivative is dominant, indicating that kinetic stability mainly controls product formation. NMR spectra show most derivatives to be unsymmetrical, with combinations of quartets and septets (overlapping quartets) due to contiguous (‘linear’) addend arrays, having significantly different coupling constants of the ‘terminal’ quartets of between 9.1 and 17.7 Hz. These differences, together with those observed previously in trifluoromethylation of [60]fullerene are consistent with addition across both 6:6- and 5:6-ring junctions. Of the two C₇₀(CF₃)₂ isomers, one has either C_s or C₂ symmetry, the other has C₁ symmetry, whilst the C₇₀(CF₃)₄ derivatives fall into four categories: (i) symmetrical compounds (one gives only two singlets in the NMR); (ii) unsymmetrical compounds that show a ‘linear’ coupling sequence; (iii) unsymmetrical compounds having a remote pairs of adjacent groups; (iv) compounds having a coupled array of three CF₃ groups, together with a remote group suggesting sterically-driven migration. The first evaluation of differential NMR couplings across 6:6- and 5:6-bonds in a fullerene has been made using C₆₀F₆ as a model.     

Ammonium bromides/KF catalyzed trifluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds with (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane and its application in the enantioselective trifluoromethylation reaction

The trifluoromethylation of aldehydes and ketones is a potentially powerful method to introduce the CF₃ moiety into organic molecules. In general, the trifluoromethylation reaction has been performed by treatment of Me₃SiCF₃ under initiation by TBAF, TBAT, TMAF as well as CsF. However, these commercially available fluorides are rather expensive and moisture sensitive. Potassium fluoride (KF) is an inexpensive and commonly used fluoride source and can be also used as an initiator for the trifluoromethylation, but the method suffers from the significant limitation that only DMF is available as a solvent. Therefore, novel methods are highly desirable for laboratory-scale as well as large-scale preparations. Here we wish to report a convenient procedure where a KF/TBAB combination acts as a catalyst for trifluoromethylation of aldehydes, ketones, and imides in a variety of organic solvents to provide trimethylsilyl-protected α-trifluoromethyl alcohols in good to high yields. Application of the method in the enantioselective trifluoromethylation is also discussed.     

Nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of aryl halides with methyl trifluoroacetate

When associated with an alkaline halide, such as cesium fluoride or cesium chloride, and Cu(I) species, methyl trifluoroacetate (MTFA) constitutes a valuable trifluoromethylating agent for substituting aromatic (or heteroaromatic) iodides and bromides. The reaction can be carried out in DMF at 180 °C or, better, in sulfolane which allows he reaction to proceed at a lower temperature (from 140 °C).     

Enantioselective trifluoromethylation of aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by combinatorial catalysts

A new combinatorial catalyst system containing the disodium (R)-binaphtholate prepared in situ and a chiral quaternary ammonium salt was developed for enantioselective trifluoromethylation of aromatic aldehydes in up to 71% ee. A possible intermediate for the binaphtholate activation of the TMSCF₃ and a catalytic cycle were proposed based on the experiments.     

Decarboxylative trifluoromethylation of aryl halides using well-defined copper-trifluoroacetate and -chlorodifluoroacetate precursors

New synthetic routes to (NHC)copper-trifluoroacetate and -chlorodifluoroacetate complexes were developed (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbenes) so baseline reactivity patterns could be established for the decarboxylative trifluoromethylation of organic halides. In the presence of aryl halides, loss of CO₂ from these new precursors occurred at 160 °C concurrent with the formation of aryl-CF₃.     

Direct C2-trifluoromethylation of indole derivatives catalyzed by copper acetate

Direct C2-selective trifluoromethylation of indole derivatives was achieved with Togni’s hypervalent iodine reagent and CuOAc as a catalyst in MeOH under mild conditions, affording the desired C2-trifluoromethylated indoles in good yield (up to 90%).     

Nucleophilic (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation of alkyl halides using PhSO2CF2SiMe3: preparation of gem-difluoroalkenes and trifluoromethyl compounds

Nucleophilic (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation of both alkyl iodides and bromides was successfully accomplished by using CsF/15-crown-5 as an initiating system in DME, and the amount of 15-crown-5 was found to be critical to the yield of the product. The prepared (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylated alkanes were converted into gem-difluoroalkenes by a base-mediated 1,2-elimination reaction, and the latter species could be further transformed into trifluoromethyl compounds in the presence of KF/18-crown-6 or TBAF.