Regioselective Alkylpolyfluoroarylation of Styrenes by Copper-Catalyzed C(sp3)-H and C(sp2)-H Double Activation

Org Lett. 2022 Jul 29;24(29):5462-5467. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c02197. Epub 2022 Jul 18.

Abstract

A novel dehydrogenative dicarbofunctionalization of vinyl arenes with polyfluoroarenes and unactivated alkanes enabled by copper catalysis has been accomplished under mild conditions. This transformation provides a regioselective route to highly functionalized polyfluoroaryl compounds that occur as structural scaffolds in a variety of pharmaceuticals and materials. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that the carbon-based radical and copper intermediate are involved in the reaction, and the reaction pathway is dominated by the bond dissociation energy (BDE) of C(sp3)-H bonds.