Stereoselective Photoredox-Catalyzed Chlorotrifluoromethylation of Alkynes: Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Alkenes

A new photoredox-catalyzed chlorotrifluoromethylation reaction of internal arylalkynes under mild conditions using visible light has been developed. The reactions proceed with high levels of regio- and stereoselectivity and utilize commercially available CF3SO2Cl as both the CF3 and Cl source. In the mechanistic pathway for this process, generation of the CF3 radical and chloride ion occurs by Ir­(ppy)3-photocatalyzed reductive decomposition of CF3SO2Cl. The synthetically important trifluoromethyl-substituted vinyl chlorides produced in this process can be readily transformed to 1,1-bis-arylalkenes by using Suzuki coupling.