Exploiting the inductive effect of the trifluoromethyl group: regioselective gold-catalyzed hydration of 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl-substituted alkynes.
Raphaël GauthierNikolaos V TzourasSteven P NolanJean-François PaquinPublished in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2023)
The gold-catalyzed hydration of 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl-substituted alkynes is highly regioselective, producing β-trifluoromethylketones as major products. This transformation illustrates the strong directing effect of the trifluoromethyl group, through its inductive effect, in gold-catalyzed addition to alkynes.