Radical Trifluoroacetylation of Alkenes Triggered by a Visible-Light-Promoted C-O Bond Fragmentation of Trifluoroacetic Anhydride.

We report a mild and operationally simple trifluoroacylation strategy of olefines, that utilizes trifluoroacetic anhydride as a low-cost and readily available reagent. This light-mediated process is fundamentally different from conventional methodologies and occurs through a trifluoroacyl radical mechanism promoted by a photocatalyst, which triggers a C-O bond fragmentation. Mechanistic studies (kinetic isotope effects, spectroelectrochemistry, optical spectroscopy, theoretical investigations) highlight the evidence of a fleeting CF3 CO radical under photoredox conditions. The trifluoroacyl radical can be stabilized under CO atmosphere, delivering the trifluoroacetylation product with higher chemical efficiency. Furthermore, the method can be turned into a trifluoromethylation protocol by simply changing the reaction parameters. Beyond simple alkenes, this method allows for chemo- and regioselective functionalization of small-molecule drugs and common pharmacophores.