Regioselective Fluoroalkylarylation of Enamides Enabled by an Iron-Catalyzed Multicomponent Radical Cross-Coupling Strategy

Fluoroalkylated compounds are important entities in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and materials. The catalytic dicarbofunctionalization of alkenes represents a powerful strategy for the rapid construction and diversification of compounds. In this vein, multicomponent cross-coupling reactions (MC-CCR) can provide an efficient synthetic route to build molecular complexity. In this work, we report the first iron-catalyzed three-component fluoroalkylarylation of enamides via selective formation and trapping of alpha-amide radicals under mild conditions and fast reaction times. The reaction tolerates a variety of commercially available aryl Grignard reagents and fluoroalkyl halides. Finally, the use of a removable phthalimido group provides an efficient strategy to prepare highly valuable difluoroalkylated amines.