Perfluoroalkyl Analogues of Diethylaminosulfur Trifluoride: Reagents for Perfluoroalkylthiolation of Active Methylene Compounds under Mild Conditions

Nitrogen-Based Organofluorine Functional Molecules: Synthesis and Applications

Fluorine and nitrogen form a successful partnership in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and material sciences. Although fluorine-nitrogen chemistry has a long and rich history, this field has received increasing interest and made remarkable progress over the past two decades, driven by recent advancements in transition metal and organocatalysis and photochemistry. This review, emphasizing contributions from 2015 to 2023, aims to update the state of the art of the synthesis and applications of nitrogen-based organofluorine functional molecules in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. In dedicated sections, we first focus on fluorine-containing reagents organized according to the type of fluorine-containing groups attached to nitrogen, including N-F, N-RF, N-SRF, and N-ORF. This review also covers nitrogen-linked fluorine-containing building blocks, catalysts, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals, underlining these components' broad applicability and growing importance in modern chemistry.

Interception of Alkynyl Tetracoordinate Borons with Sulfur Electrophiles beyond the Zweifel Pathway

Zweifel reaction is a powerful strategy to construct olefins from alkenyl tetracoordinate borons in organoboron chemistry, however, it usually only involves one functional group migration and then undergoes an elimination process affording alkenes or alkynes exclusively. Herein, we disclose several intriguing interception of alkynyl tetracoordinate borons with sulfur electrophiles. Wherein, the substituted benzothiophenes are accessed by consecutive 1,2-migrations and intramolecular electrophilic substitution, meanwhile, the challenging and elusive five/four-membered boracycles are easily assembled, and an approach to alkenyl sulfides with good stereoselectivity was developed as well. Moreover, by adding readily available deuterium sources, the tetrasubstituted deuterated alkenyl sulfides with high deuteration rates are constructed. These protocols not only improve atom economy by prohibiting the elimination of Zweifel intermediate, but also enrich the reaction modes of alkynyl tetracoordinate borons achieving versatile value-added sulfur-containing molecules. Mechanistic investigations illustrate that dichlorosulfoxide (SOCl2) and dialkylaminosulfur trifluoride-type reagents (DAST-type) as surfur sources could promote dual 1,2-aryl migration of alkynyl tetracoordinate borons, which are distinct from traditional Zweifel reaction, and the regulation of steric hindrance could also make four-membered boracycles and alkenyl sulfides feasible. And these transformations feature novel reaction modes and unusual reaction mechanisms with valuable products in high efficiency.

Photocatalytic Perfluoroalkylation of Disulfides and Diselenides. Syntheses of Perfluoroalkyl Thio- and Seleno-ethers

The synthesis of alkyl(aryl)-fluoroalkyl sulfanyl [R(Ar)-S-RF] and aryl-fluoroalkyl selenolyl (Ar-Se-RF) ethers through visible-light photocatalysis has been successfully carried out. This process involves disulfides, and diselenides [R(Ar)-X-X-R(Ar), where X = S or Se], and fluoroalkyl iodides (RF-I) in the presence of a base as an additive under photocatalysis. The photocatalyst Eosin Y and green light-emitting diodes are utilized for irradiation of R(Ar)-S-RF and Ar-Se-RF syntheses. Our method integrates low-energy visible-light photocatalysis, commercially available perfluoroalkylating reagents (RF-I), and easily obtainable disulfides and diselenides as starting materials. Mechanistic studies and a detailed synthetic procedure for (Ar)-S-RF on a large scale are presented.

The perfluoroalkylthiolation/decarbonylation reaction of 1,3-diketones with perfluoroalkanesulfenic acids

The perfluoroalkylthiolation/decarbonylation reactions of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with in situ formed perfluoroalkanesulfenic acids were achieved. Using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid as an additive, a series of α-perfluoroalkylthiolated arylethanones were obtained in moderate to good yields. A possible mechanism was proposed based on the reaction results and control experiments.

Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Trifluoromethylation of Bunte Salts: Easy Access to Trifluoromethylthiolated Synthons

A metal-free visible-light-induced trifluoromethylation of Bunte salts of α-bromoketones/alkyl bromide/benzyl bromides/functionalized allyl (Baylis-Hillman) bromides has been accomplished using Langlois' reagent in the presence of inexpensive eosin Y as a photocatalyst to form the privileged trifluoromethylthiolated synthons. The method is straightforward, operationally simple, and endowed with broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.

Rapid Access to Fluorinated Anilides via DAST-Mediated Deoxyfluorination of Arylhydroxylamines

A new strategy for the synthesis of fluorinated anilides in the absence of metals and oxidants has been developed. This deoxyfluorination of N-arylhydroxylamines with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST) proceeded smoothly under mild conditions, and the ortho- or para-fluorinated aromatic amine products were prepared in moderate to good yields. Structurally diverse fluorinated anilides, including heterocyclic and pharmaceutically relevant molecules, can be efficiently constructed by this protocol.

Diethylaminosulfur Trifluoride: A Novel, Low-Cost, Stable Double Thiolation Reagent for Imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines

We report a novel, inexpensive double thiolation reagent that sulfurizes a broad range of imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines under mild conditions. Importantly, diethylaminosulfur trifluoride, as a common nucleophilic fluorinating reagent, was utilized as a novel thiolation reagent.

Recent advances in the synthesis and applications of β-keto sulfones: new prospects for the synthesis of β-keto thiosulfones

This review mainly focuses on recent developments in the preparation of β-keto sulfones and their extensive synthetic applications. New prospects for the synthesis of β-keto thiosulfones have also been highlighted. Over the last decade, there has been exponential growth in the direct construction of β-keto sulfones using a wide variety of keto and sulfonyl precursors. Of note, the most promising photoredox transformations and electrochemical synthesis methods of β-keto sulfones are also presented. Moreover, β-keto sulfones are versatile building blocks in organic synthesis due to their three essential functional groups: sulfonyl, carbonyl, and active methylene moieties. The convenient preparation of β-keto sulfones allows the synthesis of many valuable carbocyclic and heterocyclic compounds, and the effortless removal of the sulfonyl moiety via transformations is supported. The chemistry of β-keto sulfones (2013 to present) can be divided into several sections based on the sulfonyl surrogates, and ubiquitous synthetic strategies were systematically outlined.

Formal α-trifluoromethylthiolation of carboxylic acid derivatives via N-acyl pyrazoles

A direct and general one-pot approach to α-trifluoromethylthiolated amides, esters and carboxylic acids has been successfully developed under mild, catalytic and metal-free conditions.

Visible-light-induced oxidative difunctionalization of styrenes: synthesis of α-trifluoromethylthio-substituted ketones

A novel and practical synthesis of α-trifluoromethylthio-substituted ketones has been accomplished through the visible-light-induced aerobic oxidation of styrenes. The protocol employs the combination of CF₃SO₂Na and CS₂ as a new source of SCF₃ radicals in the presence of eosin Y as a photoredox catalyst.

The CF3-DAST-induced deacylative trifluoromethylthiolation of cyclic 1,3-diketones/lactams/lactones and its extension to deacylative pentafluorophenylthiolation

CF₃-DAST-induced deacylative trifluoromethylthiolation of cyclic 1,3-diketones lactams, and lactones that provides cyclic trifluoromethylthioketones, lactams and lactones is reported.

Catalytic asymmetric trifluoromethylthiolation of carbonyl compounds via a diastereo and enantioselective Cu-catalyzed tandem reaction

The tandem reaction realizes the asymmetric integration of –SCF₃ group to carbonyl compounds, establishing the chiral tertiary α-carbon center and affording the α-SCF₃-β-substituted carbonyl compounds in 50–92% yields with up to 20 : 1 dr and 96% ee.