Fluorine transfer to alkyl radicals.
The development of new synthetic technologies for the selective fluorination of organic compounds has increased with the escalating importance of fluorine-containing pharmaceuticals. Traditional methods potentially applicable to drug synthesis rely on the use of ionic forms of fluorine (F(-) or F(+)). Radical methods, while potentially attractive as a complementary approach, are hindered by a paucity of safe sources of atomic fluorine (F(•)). A new approach to alkyl fluorination has been developed that utilizes the reagent N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide as a fluorine transfer agent to alkyl radicals. This approach is successful for a broad range of alkyl radicals, including primary, secondary, tertiary, benzylic, and heteroatom-stabilized radicals. Furthermore, calculations reveal that fluorine-containing ionic reagents are likely candidates for further expansion of this approach to polar reaction media. The use of these reagents in alkyl radical fluorination has the potential to enable powerful new transformations that otherwise would take multiple synthetic steps.
Chemistry Department, University of British Columbia , 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada.
Montserrat
M
Rueda-Becerril
Claire Chatalova
CC
Sazepin
Joe C T
JC
Leung
Tulin
T
Okbinoglu
Pierre
P
Kennepohl
Jean-François
JF
Paquin
Glenn M
GM
Sammis
D005461:Fluorine / Q000737:chemistry*; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011789:Quantum Theory
D005609:Free Radicals; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; D005461:Fluorine