Nitrosoarene-Catalyzed HFIP-Assisted Transformation of Arylmethyl Halides to Aromatic Carbonyls under Aerobic Conditions.

A rare metal-free nucleophilic nitrosoarene catalysis accompanied by highly hydrogen-bond-donor (HBD) solvent, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), organocatalytically converts arylmethyl halides to aromatic carbonyls. This protocol offers an effective means to access a diverse array of aromatic carbonyls with good chemoselectivity under mild reaction conditions. The activation of arylmethyl halides by HFIP to generate stable carbocation and autoxidation of in situ generated hydroxylamine to nitrosoarene in the presence of atmospheric O2 are the keys to success.