A practical photocatalytic strategy for radical (deuterio)difluoromethylation using imidazolium reagents

The difluoromethyl group (CF<sub>2</sub>H) has garnered significant interest in medicinal chemistry owing to its unique biochemical and physicochemical properties. Its deuterated counterpart (CF<sub>2</sub>D), building on the established utility of CF<sub>2</sub>H, exhibits multifaceted potential for advancing biomedical research and therapeutic development. While the incorporation of the difluoromethyl group (CF<sub>2</sub>H) into drug molecules has matured, efficient installation of its deuterated counterpart (CF<sub>2</sub>D) remains a formidable challenge in medicinal chemistry. This study reports a novel (deuterio)difluoromethyl imidazolate reagent IMDN-SO<sub>2</sub>CF<sub>2</sub>X (X = D, H), which is used to successfully construct various highly selective (deuterio)difluoromethyl compounds in the form of (deuterio)difluoromethyl radicals while maintaining high deuteration rates, achieving >99% isotopic purity in deuterium incorporation. The reagent enables precise CF<sub>2</sub>D and CF<sub>2</sub>H installation in natural products and synthetic bioactive compounds, showing broad substrate compatibility. This establishes a robust deuteration platform for drug discovery.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Chemical Science
Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sc02691a
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.37

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A practical photocatalytic strategy for radical (deuterio)difluoromethylation using imidazolium reagents

Heyin Li, Weigang Zhang, Zhenlei Zou, Mengjun Huang et al.
3 citations
Chemical Science
Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
2.37
article

A practical photocatalytic strategy for radical (deuterio)difluoromethylation using imidazolium reagents

Heyin Li, Weigang Zhang, Zhenlei Zou, Mengjun Huang, Jing Liu, Chao Sun, Yifan Li, Yi Pan, Yiduo Wang, Zhen Wang, Yinpu Shen, Ao Liu
article en
3 citations

Abstract

The difluoromethyl group (CF<sub>2</sub>H) has garnered significant interest in medicinal chemistry owing to its unique biochemical and physicochemical properties. Its deuterated counterpart (CF<sub>2</sub>D), building on the established utility of CF<sub>2</sub>H, exhibits multifaceted potential for advancing biomedical research and therapeutic development. While the incorporation of the difluoromethyl group (CF<sub>2</sub>H) into drug molecules has matured, efficient installation of its deuterated counterpart (CF<sub>2</sub>D) remains a formidable challenge in medicinal chemistry. This study reports a novel (deuterio)difluoromethyl imidazolate reagent IMDN-SO<sub>2</sub>CF<sub>2</sub>X (X = D, H), which is used to successfully construct various highly selective (deuterio)difluoromethyl compounds in the form of (deuterio)difluoromethyl radicals while maintaining high deuteration rates, achieving >99% isotopic purity in deuterium incorporation. The reagent enables precise CF<sub>2</sub>D and CF<sub>2</sub>H installation in natural products and synthetic bioactive compounds, showing broad substrate compatibility. This establishes a robust deuteration platform for drug discovery.

Chemical ScienceVol. 16(35)
Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures (CN), Nanjing University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
2.37
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.