Visible Light‐Promoted Decarboxylative Di‐ and Trifluoromethylthiolation of Alkyl Carboxylic Acids

Described herein is a new and straightforward decarboxylative di‐ and trifluoromethylthiolation of alkyl carboxylic acids promoted by visible light. This approach enables the synthesis of biologically relevant alkyl SCF 2 H and SCF 3 compounds from cheap and abundant carboxylic acids. The method is operationally simple, using irradiation from household light sources, and its mild reaction conditions make it tolerant of a range of functional groups. The strategy employs electrophilic phthalimide‐derived di‐ and trifluoromethylthiolation reagents and exploits the ability of the imidyl radical to carry a radical chain.