Modular synthesis of α-fluorinated arylmethanes via desulfonylative cross-coupling.

Nambo, Masakazu; Yim, Jacky C-H; Freitas, Luiza B O; Tahara, Yasuyo; Ariki, Zachary T; Maekawa, Yuuki; Yokogawa, Daisuke; Crudden, Cathleen M · Nat Commun · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

α-Fluoromethylarenes are common substructures in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, with the introduction of fluorine often resulting in improved biological activity and stability. Despite recent progress, synthetic routes to α-fluorinated diarylmethanes are still rare. Herein we describe the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of α-fluorinated benzylic triflones with arylboronic acids affording structurally diverse α-fluorinated diarylmethanes. The ease of synthesis of fluorinated triflones as the key starting materials enables powerful late-stage transformations of known biologically active compounds into fluorinated analogs.