KCS

Here we present our efforts to understand at a fundamental level how transition-metals may better introduce alkyl and perfluoroalkyl groups into organic substrates. Such methods are needed as developmental pipelines for new drugs are predicted to contain an extraordinarily high percentage of fluorinated molecules. The trifluoromethyl group, in particular, is becoming a privileged group in medicinal chemistry yet many difficulties are associated with efficient ways to introduce this group into organic molecules. We report here that new copper and nickel complexes show promise for the development of catalytic methods of fluoroalkylation. New methods for the construction of C(alkyl)-C(alkyl) bonds are also of interest as we move “beyond the flatlands” in organic coupling reactions, and mechanistic details of these reactions will also be discussed.