The Direct C-H Difluoromethylation of Heteroarenes Based on the Photolysis of Hypervalent Iodine(III) Reagents That Contain Difluoroacetoxy Ligands.

In this letter, an efficient method for the photolytic generation of difluoromethyl radicals from [bis(difluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene reagents is described. The present approach enables the introduction of difluoromethyl groups into various heteroarenes under mild conditions in the absence of any additional reagents or catalysts.