Convenient synthesis of difluoromethyl alcohols from both enolizable and non-enolizable carbonyl compounds with difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone

A general and efficient nucleophilic difluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds (both enolizable and non-enolizable aldehydes and ketones) has been achieved by using a nucleophilic (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation-reductive desul-fonylation strategy. Difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone acts as a difluoromethyl anion (CF2H-) equivalent. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005).