Metal-free and light-promoted radical iodotrifluoromethylation of alkenes with Togni reagent as the source of CF3 and iodine.

A light-promoted methodology for the iodotrifluoromethylation of alkenes was developed. For the first time a Togni reagent was exploited as the source of both the CF3 group and iodine atom. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that both CF3I and 2-iodobenzoic acid are direct sources of the iodine atom that is transferred to the products.