A photocatalytic method for the generation of the 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl radical†

Abstract

A reagent for the introduction of the 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl group is described. The reagent was obtained on a multi-gram scale in one step from readily available hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol and pentafluoropyridine. Under photoredox conditions, the reagent undergoes facile cleavage of the C–O bond to generate the fluorinated alkyl radical, which can effectively add at C,C double bonds in a variety of atom and group transfer processes.