Regioselective vicinal diamination of carbon–carbon double bonds with two different amines is a synthetic challenge under transition metal-free conditions, especially for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated amines. However, the synthesis of ethylene diamines and fluorinated amine compounds is demanded, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. Herein, we demonstrate that the controllable double nucleophilic functionalization of an activated alkene synthon, originated from a trifluoropropenyliodonium salt with two distinct nucleophiles, enables the selective synthesis of trifluoromethylated ethylene amines and diamines on broad scale with high efficiency under mild reaction conditions. Considering the chemical nature of the reactants, our synthetic approach brings forth an efficient methodology and provides versatile access to highly fluorinated amines.

Highly enantioselective desymmetrisation of Fittig’s lactones with alcohols is promoted by bifunctional cinchona squaramides. The reactions were carried out with monodeuterated methanol to detect possible hidden racemisation of the stereogenic centre. Current evidence suggests that racemisation was not a relevant process for most substrates; partial erosion of enantioselectivity was only detected with ortho-substituted aryl derivates. The resultant glutaric acid derivatives possess a scaffold that is common in natural products and the compounds are also useful chiral building blocks for further synthetic endeavours.