The fluorine-containing organic motif is becoming privileged in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional materials, owing to its unique properties such as electron-withdrawing character, metabolic stability, and lipophilicity. Described herein is the PhI(OAc)2 -mediated radical trifluoromethylation of vinyl azides with Me3 SiCF3 to efficiently generate α-trifluoromethyl azines. The resulting α-trifluoromethyl azines were successfully transformed to valuable fluorine-containing molecules such as α-trifluoromethyl ketones, β-trifluoromethyl amines, 5-fluoropyrazoles, and trifluoroethyl isoquinolines.

A protocol for the anti-Markovnikov hydrofunctionalization of alkenes has been developed by the use of a benzyl group as a traceless redox-active hydrogen donor. Under copper catalysis and in the presence of CF - or N -containing hypervalent iodine reagents, a series of homoallylic alcohol derivatives were hydrofunctionalized regioselectivity. A similar principle was also applied to the hydrofunctionalization of alkenols.

A method for the synthesis of amide-containing molecules was developed using vinyl azides as an enamine-type nucleophile towards carbon electrophiles, such as imines, aldehydes, and carbocations that were generated from alcohols in the presence of BF3 ⋅OEt2 . After nucleophilic attack of the vinyl azide, a substituent of the resulting iminodiazonium ion intermediate migrates to form a nitrilium ion, which is hydrolyzed to afford the corresponding amide.