Copper-Catalyzed N-Formylation of Amines through Tandem Amination/Hydrolysis/Decarboxylation Reaction of Ethyl Bromodifluoroacetate.

Ethyl bromodifluoroacetate (BrCF2COOEt) was first used as the N-formylating reagent in the copper-catalyzed N-formylation of amines. A range of primary, secondary, cyclic arylamines, and aliphatic amines underwent the N-formylation smoothly to furnish the N-formamides in moderate-to-excellent yields.