A C 1 -Homologative Trifluoromethylation: Light-Driven Decarboxylative Trifluoroethylation of Carboxylic Acids

Federico BelnomeUniversity of Amsterdam

Antonio PulcinellaUniversity of Amsterdam

Stefano BoncioliniUniversity of Amsterdam

Mattia LeporiUniversity of Regensburg

Oleksandr DatsenkoEnamine (Ukraine)

Zhen HeUniversity of Amsterdam

Matteo GasparettoUniversity of Amsterdam

Pavel K. MykhailiukTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Bas de BruinInstitute for Atomic and Molecular Physics

Timothy NoëlUniversity of Amsterdam

Journal of the American Chemical Society·February 6, 2026

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Abstract

The incorporation of fluorinated alkyl groups is a powerful strategy to fine-tune the physicochemical and biological properties of organic molecules. In particular, the trifluoroethyl (-CH2CF3) substituent offers a valuable C1-homologated analogue of trifluoromethylated motifs, yet methods for its direct introduction at sp3-hybridized carbon centers remain scarce. Here, we report a general and practical approach for the decarboxylative trifluoroethylation of aliphatic carboxylic acids under near visible-light irradiation. The transformation proceeds via photoinduced generation of a carbon-centered radical that adds to a bench-stable sulfonyl hydrazone reagent derived from trifluoroacetaldehyde, followed by light-driven fragmentation to furnish the desired trifluoroethylated products. The reaction operates under mild conditions, exhibits broad substrate scope, including primary, secondary, and tertiary acids, and tolerates diverse functional groups. Conceptually, the process can be viewed as a C1-homologative trifluoromethylation, offering a distinct retrosynthetic disconnection for the synthesis of trifluoroethyl-containing building blocks. Mechanistic studies combining experimental and computational analysis provide insight into the fragmentation behavior of the key alkylated sulfonyl hydrazide intermediate.

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