Aryl Sulfonium Salts for Site‐Selective Late‐Stage Trifluoromethylation

Abstract

Abstract Incorporation of the CF 3 group into arenes has found increasing importance in drug discovery. Herein, we report the first photoredox‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of aryl thianthrenium salts with a copper‐based trifluoromethyl reagent, which enables a site‐selective late‐stage trifluoromethylation of arenes. The reaction proceeds with broad functional group tolerance, even for complex small molecules on gram scale. The method was further extended to produce pentafluoroethylated derivatives.