N-Tosyl-S-difluoromethyl-S-phenylsulfoximine: a new difluoromethylation reagent for S-, N-, and C-nucleophiles.

The first alpha-difluoromethyl sulfoximine compound, 2, was successfully prepared by using the copper(II)-catalyzed nitrene transfer reaction. Compound 2 was found to be a novel and efficient difluoromethylation reagent for transferring the CF(2)H group to S-, N-, and C-nucleophiles. Deuterium-labeling experiments suggest that a difluorocarbene mechanism is involved in the current difluoromethylation reactions.