Aryl Sulfonium Salts for Site‐Selective Late‐Stage Trifluoromethylation

Abstract

AbstractIncorporation of the CF3group into arenes has found increasing importance in drug discovery. Herein, we report the first photoredox‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of aryl thianthrenium salts with a copper‐based trifluoromethyl reagent, which enables a site‐selective late‐stage trifluoromethylation of arenes. The reaction proceeds with broad functional group tolerance, even for complex small molecules on gram scale. The method was further extended to produce pentafluoroethylated derivatives.