Efficient visible-light-induced radical cascade trifluoromethylation/cyclization of inactivated alkenes with CF3Br, which is a nonhygroscopic, noncorrosive, cheap and industrially abundant chemical, was developed in this work, producing trifluoromethyl polycyclic quinazolinones, benzimidazoles and indoles under mild reaction conditions. The method features wide functional group compatibility and a broad substrate scope, offering a facile strategy to pharmaceutically produce valuable CF3-containing polycyclic aza-heterocycles.
Keywords: bromotrifluoromethane; cyclization; polycyclic benzimidazole; polycyclic indole; polycyclic quinazolinone; trifluoromethylation; visible-light induction.