Iron-Catalyzed Difluoromethylation of Arylzincs with Difluoromethyl 2-Pyridyl Sulfone

Abstract

We report the first iron-catalyzed difluoromethylation of arylzincs with difluoromethyl 2-pyridyl sulfone via selective C-S bond cleavage. This method employs the readily available, bench-stable fluoroalkyl sulfone reagent and inexpensive iron catalyst, allowing facile access to structurally diverse difluoromethylated arenes at low temperatures. The experiment employing a radical clock indicates the involvement of radical species in this iron-catalyzed difluoromethylation process.