The development of new synthetic technologies for the selective fluorination of organic compounds has increased with the escalating importance of fluorine-containing pharmaceuticals. Traditional methods potentially applicable to drug synthesis rely on the use of ionic forms of fluorine (F(-) or F(+)). Radical methods, while potentially attractive as a complementary approach, are hindered by a paucity of safe sources of atomic fluorine (F(•)). A new approach to alkyl fluorination has been developed that utilizes the reagent N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide as a fluorine transfer agent to alkyl radicals. This approach is successful for a broad range of alkyl radicals, including primary, secondary, tertiary, benzylic, and heteroatom-stabilized radicals. Furthermore, calculations reveal that fluorine-containing ionic reagents are likely candidates for further expansion of this approach to polar reaction media. The use of these reagents in alkyl radical fluorination has the potential to enable powerful new transformations that otherwise would take multiple synthetic steps.

Coming to light: The title reaction simply requires an aqueous alkaline solution of Selectfluor and light. The method is inexpensive and effective for a wide range of neutral and electron‐poor 2‐aryloxy and 2‐aryl acetic acids to provide fluoromethyl ethers (see scheme) and benzyl fluorides, respectively. The mechanism most likely proceeds through an initial aryl excitation with a subsequent single‐electron transfer.

An efficient method for the rapid construction of carbo- and heterocycles has been developed using radical relay cyclizations initiated by alkoxy radicals. Linear substrates were cyclized to form a wide range of cyclopentane, pyrrolidine, tetrahydropyran, and tetrahydrofuran derivatives in excellent yields. This methodology was utilized as a key step in the synthesis of the tetrahydrofuran fragment in (-)-amphidinolide K.

Radical relay cyclizations initiated by alkoxy radicals are a powerful tool for the rapid construction of substituted tetrahydrofurans. The scope of these relay cyclizations has been dramatically increased with the development of two strategies that utilize an oxygen atom in the substrate to accelerate the desired hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) over competing pathways. This has enabled a chemoselective 1,6-HAT over a competing 1,5-HAT. Furthermore, this allows for a chemoselective 1,5-HAT over competing direct cyclizations and β-fragmentations. Oxygen atom incorporation leads to a general increase in cyclization diastereoselectivity over carbon analogues. This chemoselective relay cyclization strategy was utilized in the improved synthesis of the tetrahydrofuran fragment in (−)-amphidinolide K.

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