[[(Ethoxycarbonyl)difluoromethyl]thio]phthalimide: A Shelf-Stable, Electrophilic Reagent with a Convertible Group for the Synthesis of Diversified Fluoroalkylthiolated Compounds

A shelf-stable and easily convertible reagent for the preparation of diversified fluoroalkylthiolated compounds, [[(ethoxycarbonyl)difluoromethyl]thio]phthalimide, was developed. [[(Ethoxycarbonyl)difluoromethyl]thio]phthalimide is an efficient electrophilic fluoroallylthiolating reagent that reacted with electron-rich heteroarenes/arenes, β-ketoesters, oxindoles, benzofuranones, and thiols. More importantly, the ethoxycarbonyl group of the resulting fluoroalkylthiolated compounds could be easily converted into various other functional groups such as chloride, alkynyl, hydrocarbonyl, carbomoyl, hydromethyl, or heteroaryl groups.