Direct heterobenzylic fluorination, difluorination and trifluoromethylthiolation with dibenzenesulfonamide derivatives

Functionalization of heterocyclic scaffolds with mono- or difluoroalkyl groups provides unique opportunities to modulate drug pK(a), influence potency and membrane permeability, and attenuate metabolism. While advances in the addition of fluoroalkyl radicals to heterocycles have been made, direct C(sp(3))–H heterobenzylic fluorination is comparatively unexplored. Here we demonstrate both mono- and difluorination of a range of alkyl heterocycles using a convenient process that relies on transient sulfonylation by the electrophilic fluorinating agent N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide. We also report heterobenzylic trifluoromethylthiolation and (18)F-fluorination, providing a suite of reactions for late-stage C(sp(3))–H functionalization of drug leads and radiotracer discovery.