The asymmetric synthesis of fluorinated isoindolinones has been achieved by a palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reaction of the corresponding α-fluoroalkyl o-iodobenzylamines. A base-mediated anti β-hydride elimination process was suggested to explain the partial erosion of the optical purity observed in some cases. This mechanistic rationale enabled the minimization of this partial racemization by fine-tuning the pKa of the base.
Keywords: asymmetric synthesis; carbonylation; fluorine; heterocycles; palladium.
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