Halodifluoromethyl and trifluoromethyl-containing compounds can act various roles via selective cleavage modes to access more valuable fluorinated or nonfluorinated molecules.

A Pd-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of various N-heteroaromatic compounds with B2pin2 as a mediator and environmentally benign water as both solvent and hydrogen donor has been disclosed. This reaction proceeded under ambient temperature with a broad range of N-heteroaromatic compounds among which imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives were for the first time selectively reduced to 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, which are the core structural motifs of an inhibitor of human O-GlcNAcase. Mechanistic studies suggested that the new protons in products are from water and Pd-H might be the key intermediate with B2pin2 as the H2O activator.

A practical and highly efficient method for the construction of a variety of sulfonamides mediated by I2 was demonstrated. The reaction proceeds readily at room temperature using a variety of sodium sulfinates and amines or ammonia in water in a metal-, base-, ligand-, or additive-free protocol. Primary, secondary and tertiary sulfonamides were obtained in good to excellent yields with a broad range of substrate tolerability.