A direct approach to alpha-trifluoromethylamines.

[reaction: see text] S-[1-(N-Acetylamino)-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl]-O-ethyl dithiocarbonate (6), a readily available xanthate, adds efficiently to various functionalized olefins to give the corresponding adducts 8 via a radical chain reaction initiated by a small amount of lauroyl peroxide.