CF₃-substituted carbocations: underexploited intermediates with great potential in modern synthetic chemistry

• Anthony J. Fernandes,
• Armen Panossian,
• Bastien Michelet,
• Agnès Martin-Mingot,
• Frédéric R. Leroux and
• Sébastien Thibaudeau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 343–378, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.32

• material sciences [14][15][16][17]. In this context, deciphering the impact that can be exerted by the trifluoromethyl group on a cation and the associated consequences when facing the challenge of developing innovative synthetic methods are the subjects of this review. Review Quantitative parameters

• certain extent upon the electron demand in the system to which it is attached”. Thus, despite the strong intrinsic electron-withdrawing character, the trifluoromethyl group was shown to modestly act as a π-electron donor when substituting a carbenium ion. Ab initio calculations were performed to account

Exploring the possibility of using fluorine-involved non-conjugated electron-withdrawing groups for thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters by TD-DFT calculation

• Dongyang Chen and
• Eli Zysman-Colman

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 210–223, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.21

• Dongyang Chen Eli Zysman-Colman Organic Semiconductor Centre, EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK 10.3762/bjoc.17.21 Abstract The trifluoromethyl group has been previously explored as a non-conjugated electron-withdrawing group in donor–acceptor

Synthesis of aryl 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethyl ethers through the base-mediated reaction between phenols and halothane

• Yukiko Karuo,
• Ayaka Kametani,
• Atsushi Tarui,
• Kazuyuki Sato,
• Kentaro Kawai and
• Masaaki Omote

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 89–96, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.9

• . Particularly, the latter approach is useful for obtaining liquid crystal materials [35][36][37][38]. In the case of using 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-ene (route (c), Scheme 1), the aryl enol ether with a trifluoromethyl group was obtained [39][40]. A further example for the formation of an aryl fluoroalkyl

Deoxyfluorination of acyl fluorides to trifluoromethyl compounds by FLUOLEAD^®/Olah’s reagent under solvent-free conditions

• Yumeng Liang,
• Akihito Taya,
• Zhengyu Zhao,
• Norimichi Saito and
• Norio Shibata

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 3052–3058, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.254

• trifluoromethyl compounds under the same reaction conditions. A reaction mechanism is proposed. Keywords: acyl fluorides; deoxyfluorination; fluorine; solvent-free; trifluoromethyl group; Introduction Due to an impressively wide effect of fluorine on the biological activity, the insertion of fluorine atoms or

Catalytic trifluoromethylation of iodoarenes by use of 2-trifluoromethylated benzimidazoline as trifluoromethylating reagent

• Tatsuhiro Uchikura,
• Nanami Kamiyama,
• Taisuke Ishikawa and
• Takahiko Akiyama

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2442–2447, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.198

• ; catalysis; copper; fluorine chemistry; trifluoromethylation; Introduction The introduction of a trifluoromethyl group is one of the most attractive reactions in drug discovery [1][2]. In the past decade, trifluoromethylation reactions of aryl halides in the presence of transition-metal complexes were

Regioselective cobalt(II)-catalyzed [2 + 3] cycloaddition reaction of fluoroalkylated alkynes with 2-formylphenylboronic acids: easy access to 2-fluoroalkylated indenols

• Tatsuya Kumon,
• Miroku Shimada,
• Jianyan Wu,
• Shigeyuki Yamada and
• Tsutomu Konno

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2193–2200, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.184

• C. Then, dehydration of C using p-TsOH⋅H2O, followed by a 1,2-reduction led to 3-fluoroalkylated indenol D. All of these reactions produced the desired products in good yield, however, this protocol is limited to the introduction of a trifluoromethyl group at the 3-position of the indenol. To the

• 2-fluoroalkylated indanone 7, also possess a trifluoromethyl group at the 2-position. Each Ha–Hb coupling of 5aA and each Hc–Hd coupling of 7 appeared as a doublet, with J = 4.0 Hz and 4.6 Hz, respectively. These NMR results suggested that the fluoroalkylated indanones 5aA and 7 were trans-isomers

Photosensitized direct C–H fluorination and trifluoromethylation in organic synthesis

• Shahboz Yakubov and
• Joshua P. Barham

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2151–2192, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.183

• = 1.20 Å) [9][14], the fluorine atom is often used as a bioisostere for the hydrogen atom. Furthermore, the trifluoromethyl group was recently identified as a bioisostere for the nitro (NO2) group, which is important due to the strong binding ability of the nitro group and the high reactivity, which is

Lipophilicity trends upon fluorination of isopropyl, cyclopropyl and 3-oxetanyl groups

• Benjamin Jeffries,
• Zhong Wang,
• Robert I. Troup,
• Anaïs Goupille,
• Jean-Yves Le Questel,
• Charlene Fallan,
• James S. Scott,
• Elisabetta Chiarparin,
• Jérôme Graton and
• Bruno Linclau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2141–2150, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.182

• existing appendages is also commonly employed. For example, an isopropyl and a trifluoromethyl group have very similar volumes, but a very different shape [6]. However, even the introduction of relatively small methyl groups can impart profound consequences (“the magic methyl effect”) [7][8][9] on the

• when the “cyclisation” operation is achieved from geminal motifs (Figure 7B). Significant logP reductions are observed, especially from the internal geminal fluorination motif as in G9 to E2 (0.72 logP units). Starting from a trifluoromethyl group (Figure 7C), similar logP reductions are achieved (e.g

Synthesis of 3(2)-phosphonylated thiazolo[3,2-a]oxopyrimidines

• Ksenia I. Kaskevich,
• Anastasia A. Babushkina,
• Vladislav V. Gurzhiy,
• Dmitrij M. Egorov,
• Nataly I. Svintsitskaya and
• Albina V. Dogadina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1947–1954, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.161

• presence of a trifluoromethyl group in position 6 favored an attack by the N3-nitrogen atom, resulting in the formation of the 5-oxo isomer. The formation of the 2-phosphonylated thiazolopyrimidine-5-one could be explained by a primary attack of the electrophilic carbon atom bonded to the chlorine atom by

• -phosphonylated thiazolopyrimidine can be explained by the electron-withdrawing effect of the trifluoromethyl group in the starting 2-thiouracil. In contrast to 6-methyl- or 6-phenyl-2-thiouracil, where the nucleophilicity is localized on the sulfur atom, the presence of the electron-withdrawing CF3 group in 6

Pauson–Khand reaction of fluorinated compounds

• Jorge Escorihuela,
• Daniel M. Sedgwick,
• Alberto Llobat,
• Mercedes Medio-Simón,
• Pablo Barrio and
• Santos Fustero

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1662–1682, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.138

• concomitant detrifluoromethylation. Furthermore, the Lewis acid-mediated retro Diels–Alder reaction was carried out uneventfully on product 61, affording the corresponding cyclopentenone 62 in moderate yield (Scheme 33). In order to rationalize the unexpected loss of the trifluoromethyl group upon

• afforded the corresponding products 59 in good to excellent yields (Scheme 36). The authors then studied the elimination of the trifluoromethyl group from this library of PK adducts, building upon their own experience in the field (vide supra, Scheme 34). Thus, by subjecting enones 59 to treatment with DBU

NHC-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of β-trifluoromethyl-β-hydroxyamides

• Alyn T. Davies,
• Mark D. Greenhalgh,
• Alexandra M. Z. Slawin and
• Andrew D. Smith

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1572–1578, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.129

• moderate to good yield as a single diastereoisomer. Keywords: enantioselective catalysis; formal [2 + 2] cycloaddition; N-heterocyclic carbene; ring opening; trifluoromethyl group; Introduction The trifluoromethyl unit holds a prominent and privileged position within organic chemistry [1][2][3][4][5][6

Photocatalyzed syntheses of phenanthrenes and their aza-analogues. A review

• Alessandra Del Tito,
• Havall Othman Abdulla,
• Davide Ravelli,
• Stefano Protti and
• Maurizio Fagnoni

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1476–1488, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.123

• - [55][56] phenanthridines was investigated. On the other hand, Umemoto’s reagent 7.2 was widely employed to introduce a trifluoromethyl group. In one instance, the visible-light irradiation of isocyanides 7.1 in the presence of excess 7.2 (4 equiv) and the Ru(bpy)32+ photoredox catalyst afforded the

Oxime radicals: generation, properties and application in organic synthesis

• Igor B. Krylov,
• Stanislav A. Paveliev,
• Alexander S. Budnikov and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1234–1276, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.107

• dehydrogenation of the side chain attached to C=NO fragment was observed. Under the action of the TMSCF3/trichloroisocyanuric acid/TCCA/CuOAc/CsF system β,γ-unsaturated oximes 146 undergo oxidative cyclization to form substituted isoxazolines 147 with a trifluoromethyl group (Scheme 49) [138]. The authors note

Synthesis and anticancer activity of bis(2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl) selenides and diselenides: the copper-catalyzed tandem C–H selenation of 2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine with selenium

• Mio Matsumura,
• Tsutomu Takahashi,
• Hikari Yamauchi,
• Shunsuke Sakuma,
• Yukako Hayashi,
• Tadashi Hyodo,
• Tohru Obata,
• Kentaro Yamaguchi,
• Yasuyuki Fujiwara and
• Shuji Yasuike

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1075–1083, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.94

• afforded the corresponding products 2f–h in a yield of 82–89%. The compounds 1e and 1i, bearing a trifluoromethyl group, gave complex mixtures, and the expected products 2e and 2i were not obtained, which suggests that this reaction was sensitive to the electronic nature of the substituent of the

• with the imidazopyridines 1b–d, f, and h, bearing methoxy, methyl, and fluoro substituents as R1 or R2, gave the corresponding selenides 3b–d, f, and h in good to excellent yield (78–90%). In contrast, the imidazopyridines bearing a trifluoromethyl group gave complex mixtures from which the expected

Reaction of indoles with aromatic fluoromethyl ketones: an efficient synthesis of trifluoromethyl(indolyl)phenylmethanols using K₂CO₃/n-Bu₄PBr in water

• Thanigaimalai Pillaiyar,
• Masoud Sedaghati and
• Gregor Schnakenburg

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 778–790, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.71

• group [19][20][21][22]. Given this, the development of a method for the incorporation of fluorine or trifluoromethyl group into organic molecules perhaps remains a current challenge in organic chemistry methodology. For example, trifluoromethyl-substituted (1H-indol-3-yl)methanol derivatives were

• into organic molecules can dramatically influence their physiochemical and biological properties in comparison with non-fluorinated analogs [18] (see compounds I and II in Figure 1). Many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals developed in recent decades have either a fluorine atom or a trifluoromethyl

Asymmetric synthesis of CF₂-functionalized aziridines by combined strong Brønsted acid catalysis

• Xing-Fa Tan,
• Fa-Guang Zhang and
• Jun-An Ma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 638–644, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.60

• attributed to the increased Brønsted acidity when the strong electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl group was placed on the benzene ring of the arylboronic acid. Removing the boronic acid from the reaction system leads to a dramatic decrease in both yield and enantiocontrol (Table 1, entry 16). The challenge

Recent advances in transition-metal-catalyzed incorporation of fluorine-containing groups

• Xiaowei Li,
• Xiaolin Shi,
• Xiangqian Li and
• Dayong Shi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2213–2270, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.218

Diaminoterephthalate–α-lipoic acid conjugates with fluorinated residues

• Leon Buschbeck,
• Aleksandra Markovic,
• Gunther Wittstock and
• Jens Christoffers

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 981–991, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.96

• suitability for molecular surface labeling. Conclusion Two bifunctional diaminoterephthalate (DAT) fluorescence dyes have been prepared. One functional unit is α-lipoic acid (ALA) for binding the dye to gold surfaces. The other carries a trifluoromethyl group for facile detection of the surface-bound material

An efficient and concise access to 2-amino-4H-benzothiopyran-4-one derivatives

• Peng Li,
• Yongqi Wu,
• Tingting Zhang,
• Chen Ma,
• Ziyun Lin,
• Gang Li and
• Haihong Huang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 703–709, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.65

• , the 2-position of the benzopyranone scaffold is easier to be attacked by nucleophiles than that the corresponding benzothiopyranone. We anticipate that the electron-withdrawing effect of a cyano, carbonyl, nitro or trifluoromethyl group, especially at the 3-position could render the sulfide, sulfinyl

Ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts with monodentate unsymmetrical NHC ligands

• Veronica Paradiso,
• Chiara Costabile and
• Fabia Grisi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 3122–3149, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.292

• . Catalyst 154 containing an N-isopropyl group (Figure 29), which is considered to be sterically equivalent to the N-trifluoromethyl group, disclosed a substantially lower selectivity in both alternating copolymerization and ethenolysis reaction, underlining that the electronic effect determined by the

Asymmetric Michael addition reactions catalyzed by calix[4]thiourea cyclohexanediamine derivatives

• Zheng-Yi Li,
• Hong-Xiao Tong,
• Yuan Chen,
• Hong-Kui Su,
• Tangxin Xiao,
• Xiao-Qiang Sun and
• Leyong Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1901–1907, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.164

• ]. In 2016, Hernández-Rodríguez and co-workers reported the preparation of bifunctional thioureas that contained either a methyl or trifluoromethyl group [14]. They discovered that the employment of chiral moieties with an α-trifluoromethyl group in thioureas show a positive effect on the selectivity

• the reaction. The presence of a strong electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl group afforded the product 9e (76% ee) with higher enantioselectivity than a strong-electron donating methoxy group (9c, 46% ee), while products with methyl and halogen groups showed moderate enantioselectivities (59–72% ee

Synthesis of trifluoromethylated 2H-azirines through Togni reagent-mediated trifluoromethylation followed by PhIO-mediated azirination

• Jiyun Sun,
• Xiaohua Zhen,
• Huaibin Ge,
• Guangtao Zhang,
• Xuechan An and
• Yunfei Du

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1452–1458, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.123

• (PhIO)-mediated intramolecular azirination in a one-pot process. Keywords: azirination; 2H-azirine; iodosobenzene; Togni reagent; β-trifluoromethylation; Introduction The trifluoromethyl group is a striking structural motif, which can be widely found in the fields of pharmaceutical and agrochemical

• trifluoromethylation and azirination reaction. As shown in Scheme 3, a variety of substrates bearing halogen substituents at the ortho, meta and para-positions of the phenyl ring in the substrates were converted to the expected 2H-azirines 7b–e in 45–65% one-pot yield. Notably, the substrate having a trifluoromethyl

• group at the meta-position in the phenyl ring also afforded the desired 2H-azirine product 7f bearing two CF3 substituents in a satisfactory one-pot yield. Various enamine substrates with electron-donating groups (p-Me, o-Me and 3,4-di-OMe) in the aryl ring, also reacted efficiently under the conditions

Recent developments in the asymmetric Reformatsky-type reaction

• Hélène Pellissier

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 325–344, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.21

• minimize the steric repulsions in this transition state. Therefore in transition state C (Scheme 9), the trifluoromethyl group occupied the equatorial position instead of the axial position because of sterical hindrance and electrostatic repulsion between the lone pair of the sulfur atom and the

• trifluoromethyl group. It must be noted that this methodology represented the first efficient and general preparation of chiral β-trifluoromethyl β-amino acid derivatives containing a quaternary stereocenter adjacent to the amine function. In 2014, Linclau and Poisson reported the synthesis of chiral α,α-difluoro

Progress in copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation

• Guan-bao Li,
• Chao Zhang,
• Chun Song and
• Yu-dao Ma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 155–181, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.11

• ; trifluoromethylation; Introduction The fluorine atom has a strong electronegativity and a small atomic radius, and the incorporation of fluoroalkyl groups into molecules imparts a variety of features. The trifluoromethyl group, as the most significant common used fluoroalkyl group, could improve molecular properties

• the trifluoromethyl group (CF3) in biologically active molecules promote the development of novel methods to construct C–CF3 bonds in the past few years. Among the many methods developed, copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation has gained enormous interest due to its high efficiency and cheapness

• trifluoroacetate (Scheme 6), followed by oxidative addition with aryl iodides and the trifluoromethylated products were delivered through reductive elimination. Later, Buchwald and co-worker [19] firstly developed an efficient, scalable technique to introduce a trifluoromethyl group into aryl iodides with CF3CO2K

Photocatalytic formation of carbon–sulfur bonds

• Alexander Wimmer and
• Burkhard König

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 54–83, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.4

• form an aryl radical. This reactive intermediate reacts with the anion of the respective thiol to form the corresponding diaryl sulfide adducts. The reaction conditions tolerate functional groups like alcohols, esters, halides, the trifluoromethyl group and heterocyclic substrates like thiazoles or