Manganese-catalyzed Aerobic Oxytrifluoromethylation of Styrene Derivatives

Yang and Vicic et al. have reported the manganese-catalyzed aerobic oxytrifluoromethylation of styrene derivatives using CF₃SO₂Na (Langlois Reagent) as the CF₃ source. According to their results, the CF₃ radical is generated from CF₃SO₂Na by using MnCl₂ catalyst under aerobic conditions, and reacts with a wide variety of styrenes to transform into the corresponding β-trifluoromethylated alcohols and &alpha-trifluoromethylated ketones. This reaction is operationally simple and proceeds under ambient conditions without the assistance of additional peroxide oxidants which are required in previously reported methods. So, it is expected to be a new method of introducing the CF₃ group.