Volume 135, Issue 7 e202217088
Forschungsartikel

Transition-Metal-Free Controllable Single and Double Difluoromethylene Formal Insertions into C−H Bonds of Aldehydes with TMSCF2Br

An Liu

An Liu

Key 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

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Prof. Dr. Chuanfa Ni

Prof. Dr. Chuanfa Ni

Key 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

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Dr. Qiqiang Xie

Dr. Qiqiang Xie

Key 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

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Prof. Dr. Jinbo Hu

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Jinbo Hu

Key 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

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First published: 14 December 2022

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 TMSCF2Br (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 (CF2CF2) 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.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.

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