Copper-mediated aerobic oxidative trifluoromethylation of terminal alkynes with Me3SiCF3.

An efficient copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of terminal alkynes with nucleophilic trifluoromethylating reagent (Me(3)SiCF(3)) was developed. Both aromatic alkynes and aliphatic alkynes were effective, and a variety of functionalities such as amino, -OMe, -CO(2)Et, -Br, and -NO(2) were tolerated under the reaction conditions. This reaction provides a general, straightforward, and practically useful method to prepare trifluoromethylated acetylenes.