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Updated: Nov 6, 2025

Protocol for the Synthesis of Ortho-trifluoromethoxylated Aniline Derivatives
Published on: January 19, 2016
Copper-catalyzed cyclization reaction: synthesis of trifluoromethylated indolinyl ketones
Wangqin Ji1, Hai-Hong Wu1, Wenbo Li1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 N. Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China. jlzhang@chem.ecnu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
A novel, simple, effective and rapid synthetic method to construct the C-2 trifluoromethylated indolinyl ketones via a copper-catalyzed cyclization reaction between N-alkylaniline and β-(trifluoromethyl)-α,β-unsaturated enones was developed. The results of the control experiments show that the reaction may involve a radical mechanism by a single-electron transfer process. Moreover, a broad substrate scope and good functional groups, high diastereoselectivities (dr, up to >20 : 1) as well as gram-scale synthesis make this approach highly attractive.
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