Room-temperature base-free copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of organotrifluoroborates to trifluoromethylarenes

An efficient room temperature copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of organotrifluoroborates under the base free condition using an electrophilic trifluoromethylating reagent is demonstrated. The corresponding trifluoromethylarenes were obtained in good to excellent yields and the reaction tolerates a wide range of functional groups. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.