Sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate (CF3SO2Na) is the sodium salt of trifluoromethanesulfinic acid. Together with t-butyl hydroperoxide, an oxidant, this compound was found to be a suitable reagent for introducing trifluoromethyl groups onto electron-rich aromatic compounds by Langlois; this reagent is also known as the Langlois reagent. This reaction operates via a free radical mechanism.[1]
This reagent is also able to trifluoromethylate electron-deficient aromatic compounds under biphasic conditions.[2]Zinc difluoromethanesulfinate, a related polymeric coordination complex, is able to introduce difluoromethyl groups (CHF2-) onto aromatic compounds under similar biphasic conditions as well.[3]
With the use of DMSO as an oxidant, it provides an environmentally friendly way for the synthesis of β-trifluoromethyl alcohols from alkenes.[4]
References
^Langlois, Bernard R.; Laurent, Eliane; Roidot, Nathalie (1991). "Trifluoromethylation of aromatic compounds with sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate under oxidative conditions". Tetrahedron Lett. 32 (51): 7525. doi:10.1016/0040-4039(91)80524-A.
^Shen, Wei-Guo; Wu, Qing-Yan; Gong, Xing-Yu; Liu, Feng; Ao, Guizhen (2019). "A facile method for hydroxytrifluoromethylation of alkenes with Langlois reagent and DMSO". Green Chemistry. 21 (11): 2983–2987. doi:10.1039/C9GC00886A. ISSN1463-9262. S2CID149671372.