Aqueous Base Promoted <i>O</i>-Difluoromethylation of Carboxylic Acids with TMSCF₂Br: Bench-Top Access to Difluoromethyl Esters

Abstract

Br is disclosed. The devised benchtop reaction system is air-stable and offers mild reaction conditions while using readily available reagents and solvents. The method is applicable to both aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids while demonstrating compatibility with a range of commonly encountered functional groups. The difluoromethyl esters of FDA approved drugs and pharmaceutically relevant molecules are also presented, demonstrating the potential for late-stage functionalization.