Exploiting a “Beast” in Carbenoid Chemistry: Development of a Straightforward Direct Nucleophilic Fluoromethylation Strategy

The first direct and straightforward nucleophilic fluoromethylation of organic compounds is reported. The tactic employs a “fleeting” lithium fluorocarbenoid (LiCH2F) generated from commercially available fluoroiodomethane. Precise reaction conditions were developed for the generation and synthetic exploitation of such a labile species. The versatility of the strategy is showcased in ca. 50 examples involving a plethora of electrophiles. Highly valuable chemicals such as fluoroalcohols, fluoroamines, and fluoromethylated oxygenated heterocycles could be prepared in very good yields through a single synthetic operation. The scalability of the reaction and its application to complex molecular architectures (e.g., steroids) are documented.