Iridium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Propargylic C–H Trifluoromethylthiolation and Related Processes

Abstract

The trifluoromethylthio group (SCF₃) has gained increasing prominence in the field of drug design and development due to its unique electronic properties, remarkable stability, and high lipophilicity, but its derivatives remain challenging to access, especially in an enantioselective manner. In this Communication, we present an enantioselective iridium-catalyzed trifluoromethylthiolation of the propargylic C(sp³)–H bonds of alkynes. This protocol demonstrates its efficacy across a diverse array of alkyne substrates, including B- and Si-protected terminal alkynes as well as those derived from natural products and pharmaceuticals, to give trifluoromethyl thioethers with good to excellent yield and stereoselectivity. Moreover, this protocol could be modified to access enantioenriched difluoromethyl and chlorodifluoromethyl thioethers (SCF₂H and SCF₂Cl derivatives), significantly expanding the space of synthetically accessible enantioenriched fluoroorganic compounds.