Fluoride-induced nucleophilic (phenylthio)difluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds with [difluoro(phenylthio)methyl]trimethylsilane (TMS-CF2SPh)

A fluoride-induced nucleophilic (phenylthio)difluoromethylation method using TMS-CF₂SPh has been achieved. This new methodology efficiently transfers “PhSCF₂” group into both enolizable and non-enolizable aldehydes and ketones to give corresponding (phenylthio)difluoromethylated alcohols in good to excellent yields. Diphenyldisulfide can also be (phenylthio)difluoromethylated into PhSCF₂SPh in high yield. The reaction with methyl benzoate, however, gives only low yield of (phenylthio)difluoromethyl phenyl ketone. The above-obtained PhSCF₂-containing alcohols can be further transformed into difluoromethyl alcohols using an oxidation-desulfonylation procedure. This new type of nucleophilic (phenylthio)difluoromethylation methodology may have other potential applications in the medicinal and agrochemical fields.