One-pot preparation of (RSe)2CF2 and (RS)2CF2 compounds via insertion of TMSCF3-derived difluorocarbene into diselenides and disulfides

A method for the first direct insertion of difluorcarbene, generated from TMSCF3, into diselenides and disulfides is disclosed, producing novel difluoromethyl diselenoacetals and difluoromethyl dithioacetals. The reaction conditions tolerate a range of synthetically useful and biologically relevant functional groups. The process is scalable, with two representative compounds prepared at a gram-scale in good yields, and it utilizes cheap and available reagents. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.