Mono-and Difluorination of Benzylic Carbon Atoms

Abstract

This microreview is divided into four parts: Introduction, benzylic monofluorination, benzylic difluorination and summary. Each procedure (base-mediated, transition-metal-catalyzed, radical-initiated benzylic fluorination) is described for the cases of both electrophilic and nucleophilic fluorine sources, with the exception of radical-initiated benzylic difluorination, which is described only in the case of electrophilic fluorine in the literature. Moreover, specifically for radical-initiated fluorination, the procedures are further classified according to the nature of the radical initiators used.