Copper-Catalyzed Perfluoroalkylthiolation of Alkynes with Perfluoroalkanesulfenamides

Copper-catalyzed direct perfluoroalkylthiolation of alkynes by using the corresponding perfluoroalkanesulfenamide reagent is reported. The selective mono- and bis-perfluoroalkylthiolation of alkynes can be conducted under very mild conditions (no base, room temperature) in very good to excellent yields. This approach, which uses a low toxicity, inexpensive copper catalyst that incorporates a commercially available ligand, is applied in the absence of any additional base. Preliminary mechanistic investigations shed some light on the nature of the unprecedented reactivity observed.