Direct Trifluoromethylation of Alcohols Using a Hypervalent Iodosulfoximine Reagent

The direct trifluoromethylation of a variety aliphatic alcohols using hypervalent iodosulfoximine reagent afforded the corresponding ethers in moderate to good yields (14–72 %). Primary, secondary, and even tertiary alcohols, including examples derived from natural products, underwent this transformation presence catalytic amounts zinc bis(triflimide). Typical reaction conditions involved neat mixture 6.0 equivalents alcohol with 1.0 equivalent reagent, majority reactions complete within 2 h 2.5 mol % Lewis acid catalyst. Furthermore, experimental evidence was provided that C?O bond-forming process occurred via coordination iodine atom subsequent reductive elimination.