Because of its high lipophilicity, the CF3S group has always interested chemists. However, strategies to introduce it into organic molecules have been, for the most part, reserved to specialized “fluorine chemists”. Recent published work has demystified these preconceived ideas by proposing new efficient methods or easy‐to‐handle reagents to enrich the toolbox of chemists. However, all these new concepts arise from the pioneering works of the past! In this review, we will do a “back to the future” by remembering the most significant results of the past and by presenting extensions and novelties of the present and for the future.

Azides are building blocks of increasing importance in synthetic chemistry, chemical biology, and materials science. Azidobenziodoxolone (ABX, Zhdankin reagent) is a valuable azide source, but its safety profile has not been thoroughly established. Herein, we report a safety study of ABX, which shows its hazardous nature. We introduce two derivatives, tBu-ABX and ABZ (azidobenziodazolone), with a better safety profile, and use them in established photoredox- and metal-mediated azidations, and in a new ring-expansion of silylated cyclobutanols to give azidated cyclopentanones.