Science
Science
a month ago

A unified flow strategy for the preparation and use of trifluoromethyl-heteroatom anions

Mauro Spennacchio, Miguel Bernús, Jelena Stanić, Daniele Mazzarella, Marco Colella, James J. Douglas, Omar Boutureira, Timothy Noël
The trifluoromethyl group (CF 3 ) is a key functionality in pharmaceutical and agrochemical development, greatly enhancing the efficacy and properties of resulting compounds. However, attaching the CF 3 group to heteroatoms such as sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen poses challenges because of the lack of general synthetic methods and reliance on bespoke reagents. Here, we present a modular flow platform that streamlines the synthesis of heteroatom-CF 3 motifs. Our method uses readily available organic precursors in combination with cesium fluoride as the primary fluorine source, facilitating the rapid generation of N -trifluoromethyl(R) [NCF 3 (R)], SCF 3 (trifluoromethylthio), and OCF 3 (trifluoromethoxy) anions on demand without reliance on perfluoroalkyl precursor reagents. This strategy offers a more environmentally friendly synthesis of trifluoromethyl(heteroatom)–containing molecules, with the potential for scalability in manufacturing processes facilitated by flow technology.

Publisher URL: https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.adq2954

DOI: 10.1126/science.adq2954

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