Issue 8, 2022

SuFEx-enabled, chemoselective synthesis of triflates, triflamides and triflimidates

Abstract

Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) chemistry has emerged as a next-generation click reaction, designed to assemble functional molecules quickly and modularly. Here, we report the ex situ generation of trifluoromethanesulfonyl fluoride (CF3SO2F) gas in a two chamber system, and its use as a new SuFEx handle to efficiently synthesize triflates and triflamides. This broadly tolerated protocol lends itself to peptide modification or to telescoping into coupling reactions. Moreover, redesigning the SVI–F connector with a S[double bond, length as m-dash]O → S[double bond, length as m-dash]NR replacement furnished the analogous triflimidoyl fluorides as SuFEx electrophiles, which were engaged in the synthesis of rarely reported triflimidate esters. Notably, experiments showed H2O to be the key towards achieving chemoselective trifluoromethanesulfonation of phenols vs. amine groups, a phenomenon best explained—using ab initio metadynamics simulations—by a hydrogen bonded termolecular transition state for the CF3SO2F triflylation of amines.

Graphical abstract: SuFEx-enabled, chemoselective synthesis of triflates, triflamides and triflimidates

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
11 Nov 2021
Accepted
03 Jan 2022
First published
05 Jan 2022
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 2270-2279

SuFEx-enabled, chemoselective synthesis of triflates, triflamides and triflimidates

B. Li, L. Voets, R. Van Lommel, F. Hoppenbrouwers, M. Alonso, S. H. L. Verhelst, W. M. De Borggraeve and J. Demaerel, Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 2270 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC06267K

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