Contemporary synthetic strategies in organofluorine chemistry

Fluorinated molecules have a wide range of applications and are used as medicines, agrochemicals and refrigerants and in smartphone liquid crystal displays, photovoltaic solar cells, Teflon tapes and the coatings of textiles and buildings. Fluorination and fluoroalkylation - incorporation of a trifluoromethyl, difluoromethyl or monofluoromethyl group - are the major strategies used for the construction of carbon-fluorine bonds and fluorinated carbon-carbon bonds, respectively. The past two decades have witnessed a rapid growth in fluorination and fluoroalkylation methods thanks to the development of new reagents and catalysts. This Primer aims to provide an overview of state-of-the-art strategies in fluorination, trifluoromethylation, difluoromethylation and monofluoromethylation, with an emphasis on using C-H functionalization, although other strategies for fluorination and fluoroalkylation are also discussed. Further landmark achievements are expected in the fields of fluorination and fluoroalkylation as organofluorine compounds are used increasingly in everyday applications.

Automated summary

Fluorinated molecules have various applications, with fluorination and fluoroalkylation being the main strategies for constructing carbon-fluorine and fluorinated carbon-carbon bonds. Rapid growth in fluorination and fluoroalkylation methods has been witnessed in the past two decades due to the development of new reagents and catalysts, and further landmark achievements are expected in everyday applications as organofluorine compounds are increasingly used.