C–H Electrophilic (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes with a newly designed reagent

The synthesis of an original electrophilic difluoromethylating reagent was successfully achieved upon a straightforward protocol (3 steps). Like a Swiss army knife, this bench-stable reagent allowed the functionalization of various classes of compounds under mild and transition metal-free conditions. Hence, an efficient and operationally simple tool for the construction of C(sp(2))-, C(sp(3))- and S-CF(2)SO(2)Ph bonds was provided, expanding the chemical space of PhSO(2)CF(2)-containing molecules. Late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules and the synthesis of PhSO(2)CF(2)- and HCF(2)-analogs of Lidocaine were also successfully achieved.