Triflamides and Triflimides: Synthesis and Applications

Among the variety of sulfonamides, triflamides (CF(3)SO(2)NHR, TfNHR) occupy a special position in organic chemistry. Triflamides are widely used as reagents, efficient catalysts or additives in numerous reactions. The reasons for the widespread use of these compounds are their high NH-acidity, lipophilicity, catalytic activity and specific chemical properties. Their strong electron-withdrawing properties and low nucleophilicity, combined with their high NH-acidity, makes it possible to use triflamides in a vast variety of organic reactions. This review is devoted to the synthesis and use of N-trifluoromethanesulfonyl derivatives in organic chemistry, medicine, biochemistry, catalysis and agriculture. Part of the work is a review of areas and examples of the use of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (triflimide, (CF(3)SO(2))(2)NH, Tf(2)NH). Being one of the strongest NH-acids, triflimide, and especially its salts, are widely used as catalysts in cycloaddition reactions, Friedel–Crafts reactions, condensation reactions, heterocyclization and many others. Triflamides act as a source of nitrogen in C-amination (sulfonamidation) reactions, the products of which are useful building blocks in organic synthesis, catalysts and ligands in metal complex catalysis, and have found applications in medicine. The addition reactions of triflamide in the presence of oxidizing agents to alkenes and dienes are considered separately.