<i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Carbene-catalyzed Difluorocarbene Generation and its Application to Aryl Difluoromethyl Ether Synthesis

Abstract

Abstract NHC-catalyzed generation of difluorocarbene from trimethylsilyl 2,2-difluoro-2-(fluorosulfonyl)acetate (TFDA) enables the synthesis of enol difluoromethyl ethers starting from cyclohexenones and tetralones. The resultant enol difluoromethyl ethers were successively dehydrogenated with DDQ to furnish aryl difluoromethyl ethers in good to high yield.