A Decennial Update on the Applications of Trifluroacetic Acid

Abstract

Since its discovery at the beginning of the 20th century, trifluoroacetic acid, commonly known as TFA, has seen extensive application in organic synthesis both as a solvent and as a catalyst/reagent. TFA can be used to facilitate a wide variety of chemical transformations, including rearrangements, functional group deprotections, condensations, hydroarylations and trifluoroalkylations, among others. The decennial mini-review examines key TFA synthetic applications from the middle of 2013 to the present, providing the organic chemistry research community with an opportunity to delve deeply into the numerous and varied applications of this strong acid, water-miscible, and low boiling point reagent.