Hydrotrifluoroacetylation of Alkenes via Designer Masked Acyl Reagents

Because of its impressive ability to promote pharmaceutical activity, the introduction of trifluoromethylacyl (CF3CO) functionality into organic compounds has become an important and growing research area. Although various protocols have been developed to access trifluoroketones, the use of trifluoroacetyl radicals remains virtually undeveloped. Herein, we disclose a novel method for trifluoroacetylation through an umpolung reagent, thereby transforming an electrophilic radical into a nucleophilic radical. The applicability of this transformation is highlighted by large-scale, late-stage reactions of complex bioactive molecules sclareolide and loratadine. Furthermore, the direct transformation of trifluoromethyl ketones into various fluorinated analogues illustrates the potential synthetic application of our developed method.