A facile synthesis of trifluoromethyl- and 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl-substituted aromatic compounds by the oxidative desulfurization-fluorination of the corresponding carbodithioates

Trifluoromethyl-substituted aromatic compounds were easily synthesized by the oxidative desulfurization-fluorination reaction of readily accessible methyl arenecarbodithioates using [n-Bu4N]H2F3 and 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBH) under extremely mild conditions. Use of N-bromosuccinimide or N-iodosuccinimide instead of DBH afforded di fluoro(methylthio)methyl-substituted aromatics. In a similar way, 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl-substituted aromatic compounds were readily prepared from the corresponding alpha,beta-unsaturated carbodithioates.