Photomediated Hexafluoroisopropoxylation of Unactivated Aryl Halides

19 July 2024, Version 1
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

The use of fluoroalkoxy groups, such as trifluoromethoxy and 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy groups, in pharmaceutical and agrochemical development has increased dramatically in recent years. However, hexafluoroisopropoxy groups have remained significantly underrepresented, presumably due to limited synthetic methods for accessing this substituent in good yields. Herein, we report a mild, photochemical nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) approach for the synthesis of hexafluoroisopropyl aryl ethers from unactivated and abundant aryl halides. Notably, aryl chloride and bromide functionality are efficiently engaged by this methodology in addition to the traditional aryl fluoride nucleofuge. This method provide access to a diverse array of hexafluoroisopropyl aryl ethers, including multiple examples of late-stage functionalization of active pharmaceutical ingredients. A simple flow system was adapted for 10x scale-up, maintaining good yield for the reaction. Initial mechanistic studies indicate single electron oxidation of the arene as a key step in product formation.

Keywords

Photoredox
Hexafluoroisopropoxylation
SNAr
Aryl halide
HFIP

Supplementary materials

Title
Description
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Title
SI for Photomediated Hexafluoroisopropoxylation of Unactivated Aryl Halides
Description
General information, synthetic procedures, computational details, mechanistic experiments, and relevant spectroscopic (NMR) data
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