Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Protocol for the Synthesis of Ortho-trifluoromethoxylated Aniline Derivatives

Protocol for the Synthesis of Ortho-trifluoromethoxylated Aniline Derivatives

Published on: January 19, 2016

Copper-Catalyzed Aromatic Trifluoromethylation and the Related Transformations

¹Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan.

Chemical Record (New York, N.Y.)

|July 25, 2023

Abstract:

Trifluoromethylated aromatic compounds (Ar-CF₃ ) are the substances of considerable interest in various industrial fields. The high lipophilicity, strong electron-withdrawing ability, and characteristic size of trifluoromethyl group are key influences in biologically active molecules. Due to these attractive properties, the benzotrifluoride structural motifs have been widely employed in the design of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, liquid crystals, and polymers. Therefore, the development of highly efficient methodologies for aromatic trifluoromethylation is of significant importance for wide fields of science and technology. Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to catalytic protocols to introduce fluoroalkyl groups into aromatic rings selectively. This personal account highlights the copper-mediated aromatic trifluoromethylation and the related transformations developed by our research group.

Keywords:

copper cross-coupling difluoromethyl fluorine trifluoromethyl

More Related Videos

Application of Elemental Lanthanides in the Selective C-F Activation of Trifluoromethylated Benzofulvenes Providing Access to Various Difluoroalkenes

Application of Elemental Lanthanides in the Selective C-F Activation of Trifluoromethylated Benzofulvenes Providing Access to Various Difluoroalkenes

Published on: July 28, 2018

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Fluorination and Iodination of Benzene

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Fluorination and Iodination of Benzene

Bromination and chlorination of aromatic rings by electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions are easily achieved, but fluorination and iodination are difficult to achieve. Fluorine is so reactive that its reaction with benzene is difficult to control, resulting in poor yields of monofluoroaromatic products. To address this, Selectfluor reagent is used as a fluorine source in which a fluorine atom is bonded to a positively charged nitrogen.

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Acylation of Benzene

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Acylation of Benzene

The Friedel–Crafts acylation reactions involve the addition of an acyl group to an aromatic ring. These reactions proceed via electrophilic aromatic substitution by employing an acyl chloride and a Lewis acid catalyst such as aluminum chloride to form aryl ketone.

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Elimination–Addition

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Elimination–Addition

Simple aryl halides do not react with nucleophiles. However, nucleophilic aromatic substitutions can be forced under certain conditions, such as high temperatures or strong bases. The mechanism of substitution under such conditions involves the highly unstable and reactive benzyne intermediate. Benzyne contains equivalent carbon centers at both ends of the triple bond, each of which is equally susceptible to nucleophilic attack. This 50–50 distribution of products is...

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Benzene

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Benzene

Friedel–Crafts reactions were developed in 1877 by the French chemist Charles Friedel and the American chemist James Crafts. Friedel–Crafts alkylation refers to the replacement of an aromatic proton with an alkyl group via electrophilic aromatic substitution. A Lewis acid catalyst such as aluminum chloride reacts with an alkyl halide to form a carbocation. The resulting carbocation then reacts with the aromatic ring and undergoes a series of electron rearrangements before giving the...

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene

Chlorination and bromination are important classes of electrophilic aromatic substitutions, where benzene reacts with chlorine or bromine in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst to give halogenated substitution products. A Lewis acid such as aluminium chloride or ferric chloride catalyzes the chlorination, and ferric bromide catalyzes the bromination reactions. During the bromination of alkenes, bromine polarizes and becomes electrophilic. However, in the bromination of benzene, the bromine...

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Aryldiazonium Salts: Aromatic SN1

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Aryldiazonium Salts: Aromatic S_N1

Treating arylamines with nitrous acid gives aryldiazonium salts that are effective substrates in nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. The diazonio group in these salts can be easily displaced by different nucleophiles, yielding a wide variety of substituted benzenes. The leaving group departs as nitrogen gas, and this easy elimination is the driving force for the substitution reaction.
In the Sandmeyer reaction, for example, the diazonio group is replaced by a chloro, bromo,...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Alkylation and silylation of α-fluorobenzyl anion intermediates.

Organic & biomolecular chemistry·2023

See all related articles