The New Age of Electrophilic Perfluoroalkylation Reactions

The introduction of a perfluoroalkyl group, with emphasis on the trifluoromethyl moiety, is a challenging topic. Of the synthetic methods available in the repertoire of chemists, electrophilic introduction was until recently the least developed. In five years, however, a renaissance of this chemistry has happened. This renewal has been made possible thanks to reports both of numerous new reagents (stable, easy tohandle and to prepare) and of easier preparation of older reagents. Their availability rapidly inspired highly original works involving their use, in particular with the help of catalysis. This virtuous spiral, as well as all these exciting new developments, is described in this microreview.