Photoinduced Copper-Mediated Difluoroalkylation of Arylsulfonium Salts with XCF₂COR

Photoredox fluoroalkylation has emerged as a powerful method and have unlocked new possibilities in organic chemistry. In this work, the green-light-induced copper-mediated difluoroalkylation of arylsulfonium salts with different XCF₂COR reagents is described. The reaction proceeded smoothly at ambient temperature under mild conditions and allowed the formation of a variety of difluoroalkylated arenes in good yields. The photocatalyst, visible-light, and Cu(I) salt played a synergetic role in the reduction of arylsulfonium salt and XCF₂COR to the respective radical intermediates. This metallophotoredox protocol was applicable to the late-stage difluoroalkylation of multifunctionalized bioactive molecules, offering opportunities to the discovery of new medicinal agents. The transformation showed advantages of mildness, simple operation, good functional group tolerance, a wide range of substrates, and excellent regioselectivity, which provided an interesting alternative to other difluoroalkylation reactions in terms of structural diversity, selectivity, and availability by the application of arylsulfonium platforms.