Transition-Metal-Free Controllable Single and Double Difluoromethylene Formal Insertions into C-H Bonds of Aldehydes with TMSCF2 Br
An Liu1, Chuanfa Ni1, Qiqiang Xie1
1Key Laboratory of Organofluorine Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Ling-Ling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Abstract:
We have developed a new strategy for controllable single and double difluoromethylene (CF2 ) formal insertions into C-H bonds of aldehydes with nearly full selectivity under transition-metal-free conditions. The key to the success of controllable CF2 insertions lies in the well-defined formation of 2,2-difluoroenolsilyl ether and 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorocyclopropanolsilyl ether intermediates using difluorocarbene reagent TMSCF2 Br (TMS=trimethylsilyl). These two intermediates can react with various electrophiles including proton sources and various halogenation reagents, allowing for the access to diverse arrays of ketones containing difluoromethylene (CF2 ) and tetrafluoroethylene (CF2 CF2 ) units. The first synthesis of relatively stable 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorocyclopropanolsilyl ethers has been achieved, which offers a new platform to explore other unknown chemical space.
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