Direct Difluoromethylation of Alcohols with an Electrophilic Difluoromethylated Sulfonium Ylide

Abstract A general method for the formation of alkyl difluoromethylethers under mild reaction conditions and with good functional‐group tolerance was developed. The development of the method was based on the invention of a stable, electrophilic, difluoromethylating reagent, difluoromethyl‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐bis(carbomethoxy) methylide sulfonium ylide, which was synthesized by reaction of the easily available 4‐nitrophenyl (difluoromethyl)thioether and dimethyl diazomalonate in the presence of a rhodium catalyst.