Visible-Light-Induced Monofluoromethylation of Styrenes

The allylic monofluoromethyl moiety is a structurally significant motif with well-established relevance in pharmaceutical chemistry and materials science. This study presents a streamlined and effective method for the synthesis of allylic monofluoromethylated compounds. Utilizing sulfonyl monofluoromethyl bromide as the fluoromethylating agent, the transformation is facilitated under visible-light irradiation in the presence of a cobaloxime catalyst. This approach enables the direct fluoroalkylation of alkenes, affording the desired allylic monofluoromethyl products with high efficiency. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and exhibits a broad substrate scope, displaying excellent functional group tolerance across various biologically important molecules, including derivatives of estrone, thymol, amino acids, glucose, and ciprofibrate.