Rapid Entry into Biologically Relevant α,α-Difluoroalkylphosphonates Bearing Allyl Protection-Deblocking under Ru(II)/(IV)-Catalysis.

A convenient synthetic route to α,α-difluoroalkylphosphonates is described. Structurally diverse aldehydes are condensed with LiF2CP(O)(OCH2CH═CH2)2. The resultant alcohols are captured as the pentafluorophenyl thionocarbonates and efficiently deoxygenated with HSnBu3, BEt3, and O2, and then smoothly deblocked with CpRu(IV)(π-allyl)quinoline-2-carboxylate (1-2 mol %) in methanol as an allyl cation scavenger. These mild deprotection conditions provide access to free α,α-difluoroalkylphosphonates in nearly quantitative yield. This methodology is used to rapidly construct new bis-α,α-difluoroalkyl phosphonate inhibitors of PTPIB (protein phosphotyrosine phosphatase-1B).