Light-mediated copper-catalyzed phosphorus/halogen exchange in 1,1-difluoroalkylphosphonium salts.

A method for the assembly of the halodifluoromethyl group (CF2X, X = Cl, Br, I) is described. The reaction involves the light-mediated substitution of the triphenylphosphine by halide anions in readily accessible gem-difluorinated phosphonium salts.

Visible light-mediated difluoroalkylation of electron-deficient alkenes.

A method for the reductive difluoroalkylation of electron-deficient alkenes using 1,1-difluorinated iodides mediated by irradiation with blue light is described. The reaction involves radical addition of 1,1-difluorinated radicals at the double bond followed by hydrogen atom transfer from sodium cyanoborohydride.

Photocatalytic Reductive Fluoroalkylation of Nitrones.

A method for the addition of fluorinated groups to nitrones using an iridium photocatalyst and ascorbic acid as a stoichiometric reducing agent is described. The reaction proceeds through the generation of fluorinated radicals by single-electron reduction of fluorinated alkyl iodides with an iridium complex mediated by visible light. Besides perfluorinated reagents, partially fluorinated alkyl iodides can also be effectively used leading to the products, which cannot be obtained by conventional nucleophilic addition reactions. The resulting hydroxylamines can be readily converted to valuable fluorinated amines by reduction with zinc.

Copper-Catalyzed Coupling of Acyl Chlorides with gem-Difluorinated Organozinc Reagents via Acyl Dithiocarbamates.

A cross-coupling of acyl chlorides with gem-difluorinated organozinc reagents affording difluorinated ketones is described. In the reaction, acyl chlorides are first treated with potassium dithiocarbamate to generate S-acyl dithiocarbamates, which couple with organozincs in the presence of a copper(I) catalyst.

Synthesis of 3-Fluoropyridines via Photoredox-Mediated Coupling of α,α-Difluoro-ß-iodoketones with Silyl Enol Ethers.

A method for the synthesis of diversely substituted 3-fluoropyridines from two ketone components is described. The reaction involves photoredox coupling of α,α-difluoro-ß-iodoketones with silyl enol ethers catalyzed by fac-Ir(ppy)3 under blue LED irradiation with subsequent one-pot condensation with ammonium acetate. Based on cyclic voltammetry studies, it was determined that α,α-difluoro-ß-iodoketones are reduced notably easier compared to 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-iodoethane, which may be ascribed to the influence of the carbonyl group.

Difluoromethylation of Carboxylic Acids via the Addition of Difluorinated Phosphorus Ylide to Acyl Chlorides.

A one-step protocol for the difluoromethylation of carboxylic acids is described. The reaction involves the interaction of intermediate acyl chlorides with in situ generated difluorinated phosphorus ylide Ph3P═CF2. Aromatic acids can be selectively transformed within one step either to bis-difluoromethylated alcohols or to difluorinated ketones depending on the particular reaction conditions. For bulky α-branched carboxylic acids, only ketones are produced.

Radical Silyldifluoromethylation of Electron-Deficient Alkenes.

A reaction of bromo- and iododifluoromethyl-substituted silanes with electron-deficient alkenes in the presence of an N-heterocyclic carbene borane complex is described. The reaction is performed under irradiation with light-emitting diodes and proceeds via a radical chain mechanism. The resulting products, the functionalized silicon reagents, can undergo chemoselective transformations involving either the silyldifluoromethyl fragment or the functional group.

Synthesis of gem-Difluorinated Hydroxypyrrolidines.

A method for the synthesis of 3-hydroxy-4,4-difluoropyrrolidines from α,α-difluoro-ß-bromoketones is described. The reaction involves methylenation of the carbonyl group with tetrahydrothiophenium ylide followed by coupling with primary amines.

Synthesis of 3-Fluoroindoles via Photoredox Catalysis.

A method for the synthesis of 3-fluoroindoles from N-arylamines substituted with the CF2I group is described. The reaction is mediated by a ruthenium photocatalyst in the presence of a substoichiometric amount of triphenylphosphine upon irradiation with blue light. The starting N-arylamines are readily obtained by nucleophilic iododifluoromethylation of iminium ions.

Silicon Reagent with Functionalized Tetrafluoroethylene Fragments: Preparation and Coupling with Aldehydes.

A new fluorinated silicon reagent bearing a functionalized tetrafluoroethylene fragment was prepared from two CF2 building blocks: ethyl bromodifluoroacetate and (bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane. The key C-C bond-forming step involves a difluorocarbene addition/cyclopropane rearrangement sequence. The silicon reagent was coupled with aldehydes and reactive azomethines in the presence of potassium fluoride.

Nucleophilic Difluoromethylation Using (Bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane.

A combination of (bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (Me3SiCF2Br), triphenylphosphine, and DMPU serves as a source of difluorinated phosphorus ylide Ph3P═CF2 under mild conditions. The system was used to effect nucleophilic difluoromethylation of ketones and nitro alkenes. The reaction efficiency is believed to be associated with Lewis acidic activation of the substrates by a silylium species formed upon generation of the phosphorus ylide.

Reactions of gem-Difluorinated Phosphonium Salts Induced by Light.

gem-Difluorinated phosphonium salts, which are readily obtained from aldehydes and difluoromethylene phosphobetaine, can serve as a source of radicals under reductive conditions. An iridium complex or Hantzsch ester was used as a one-electron reducing agent when irradiated with visible light. The fluorinated radicals were trapped with various alkenes, leading to products either via a photoredox cycle (for the iridium catalyst) or via a hydrogen atom transfer (for the Hantzsch ester).

Coupling of α,α-difluoro-substituted organozinc reagents with 1-bromoalkynes.

α,α-Difluoro-substituted organozinc reagents generated from conventional organozinc compounds and difluorocarbene couple with 1-bromoalkynes affording gem-difluorinated alkynes. The cross-coupling proceeds in the presence of catalytic amounts of copper iodide in dimethylformamide under ligand-free conditions.

Nucleophilic Iododifluoromethylation of Aldehydes Using Bromine/Iodine Exchange.

A method for the iododifluoromethylation of aromatic aldehydes using (bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (Me3SiCF2Br) is described. The selective formation of the CF2I group is based on using sodium iodide, with the sodium serving as a scavenger of bromide and iodide serving as a nucleophile with respect to difluorocarbene. The primary CF2I-addition products can undergo HI-elimination or iodine/zinc exchange followed by allylation in a one-pot manner.

Novel Highly Energetic Pyrazoles: N-Trinitromethyl-Substituted Nitropyrazoles.

A new family of energetic compounds, nitropyrazoles bearing a trinitromethyl moiety at the nitrogen atom of the heterocycle, was designed. The desirable high-energy dense oxidizers 3,4-dinitro- and 3,5-dinitro-1-(trinitromethyl)pyrazoles were synthesized in good yields by destructive nitration of the corresponding 1-acetonylpyrazoles. All of the prepared compounds were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy, as well as by elemental analysis. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies show remarkably high density. Impact sensitivity tests and thermal stability measurements were also performed. All of the pyrazoles possess positive calculated heats of formation and exhibit promising energetic performance that is the range of 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine and pentaerythritol tetranitrate. The new pyrazoles exhibit positive oxygen balance and are promising candidates for new environmentally benign energetic materials.

Halogenative difluorohomologation of ketones.

A method for the difluorohomologation of ketones accompanied by halogenation of a C-H bond is described. The reaction involves silylation, difluorocarbene addition using Me3SiCF2Br activated by a bromide ion, and halogenation of intermediate cyclopropanes with N-bromo- or N-iodosuccinimide. The whole process is performed without isolation of intermediates. The resulting α,α-difluoro-ß-halo-substituted ketones can be readily converted into fluorine containing pyrazole derivatives and oxetanes.

Difluorohomologation of ketones.

A method for the homologation of ketones with the CF2 fragment is described. The reaction involves silylation, room-temperature difluorocyclopropanation of silyl enol ethers, and selective ring opening of cyclopropanes under acidic conditions. The whole three-step sequence is conveniently performed in a one-pot mode.

Synthesis of gem-difluorinated nitroso compounds.

A method for the synthesis of gem-difluorinated nitroso compounds is described. The reaction involves interaction of organozinc reagents with (bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane followed by nitrosation of difluorinated organozinc species with an n-butyl nitrite/chlorotrimethylsilane system.

Difluoromethylene phosphabetaine as an equivalent of difluoromethyl carbanion.

A method for nucleophilic difluoromethylation of reactive Michael acceptors, aldehydes, and azomethines is described. The reaction is performed using the readily available and air-stable reagent difluoromethylene phosphabetaine. The process involves interaction of an electrophilic substrate with in situ generated difluorinated phosphonium ylide followed by hydrolysis of the carbon-phosphorus bond under mild conditions.

Nucleophilic bromodifluoromethylation of iminium ions.

A method for bromodifluoromethylation of iminium ions using Me3SiCF2Br is described. The reaction involves room temperature activation of the silicon reagent by HMPA to generate difluorocarbene, which upon interacting with excess of bromide ion provides bromodifluoromethyl carbanionic species. The iminium electrophiles are generated in situ from aldehydes, secondary amines, proton sponge, and silyl triflate. The reaction can be extended for introduction of chlorodifluoromethyl and iododifluoromethyl groups.