Copper-catalyzed carbo-difluoromethylation of alkenes via radical relay

Abstract

Compounds that contain alkyl-difluoromethyl moieties are of interest for medicinal chemistry, but their synthesis is challenging. Here, the authors report a copper-catalyzed radical relay approach for the carbodifluoromethylation of alkenes that simultaneously introduces CF2H groups and complex alkyl or aryl groups into alkenes.