Visible-Light-Induced Trifluoromethylsulfonylation Reaction of Diazo Compounds Enabled by Manganese Catalysis

Org Lett. 2023 Apr 14;25(14):2410-2414. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00490. Epub 2023 Mar 30.

Abstract

A visible-light-induced trifluoromethylsulfonylation reaction of diazo compounds is herein reported. This developed synthetic method captures the relatively rare trifluoromethyl sulfone radicals via coordination to the Mn(acac)3 catalyst, delivering the corresponding α-trifluoromethyl sulfone esters in good to moderate yields (up to 82%). This protocol exhibits broad substrate scope and is easily carried out under mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, a plausible mechanism of the reaction was investigated through DFT calculations.