Direct C-H Trifluoromethylation of Glycals by Photoredox Catalysis.

A mild, efficient, and practical transformation for the direct C-H trifluoromethylation of glycals under visible light has been reported for the first time. This reaction employed fac-Ir(3+)(ppy)3 as the photocatalyst, Umemoto's reagent as the CF3 source, and a household blue LED or sunlight as the light source. Glycals bearing both electron-withdrawing and -donating protective groups performed this reaction smoothly. This visible light-mediated trifluoromethylation reaction was highlighted by the trifluoromethylation of the biologically important Neu2en moiety.