Visible-Light-Induced Metal-Free Decarboxylative Perfluoroalkylation of Aryl Acrylic Acids

Org Lett. 2022 Oct 21;24(41):7622-7626. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c03088. Epub 2022 Oct 11.

Abstract

Perfluoroalkylation is important for late-stage modification of biologically active molecules. Herein, we report a protocol for visible-light-induced perfluoroalkylation reactions of aryl acrylic acids. These reactions, which use perfluoroalkyl iodides as radical precursors and inexpensive eosin Y as a photocatalyst, proceed in a decarboxylative manner. The easy accessibility of perfluoroalkyl iodides and the broad substrate scope, mild conditions, and metal-free catalyst make this protocol applicable for the transformation of inexpensive raw materials to high-value chemicals.