title: Vanadium-catalyzed solvent-free synthesis of quaternary α-trifluoromethyl nitriles by electrophilic trifluoromethylation.
abstract: The direct electrophilic trifluoromethylation of silyl ketene imines (SKIs) with hypervalent iodine reagents leads to the formation of quaternary α-trifluoromethyl nitriles in good yields. This new reaction has been carried out with a variety of substituted SKIs under solvent-free conditions using a vanadium(IV) catalyst (5 mol %). The corresponding products may be transformed into useful organofluorine building blocks.
authors.affiliation: Department Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland).
authors.forename: Natalja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Früh
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Togni
keywords: nitriles; quaternary centers; solvent-free processes; trifluoromethylation; vanadium