The present invention provides a process of producing a trifluoromethoxylated aryl or trifluoromethoxylated heteroaryl having the structure: wherein A is an aryl or heteroaryl, each with or without subsutitution; and R1 is —H, -(alkyl), -(alkenyl), -(alkynyl), -(aryl), -(heteroaryl), -(alkylaryl), -(alkylheteroaryl), —NH-(alkyl), —N(alkyl)2, —NH-(alkenyl), —NH-(alkynyl)—NH-(aryl), —NH-(heteroaryl), —O-(alkyl), —O-(alkenyl), —O-(alkynyl), —O-(aryl), —O-(heteroaryl), —S-(alkyl), —S-(alkenyl), —S-(alkynyl), —S-(aryl), or —S-(heteroaryl), comprising: (a) reacting a compound having the structure: with a trifluoromethylating agent in the presence of a base in a first suitable solvent under conditions to produce a compound having the structure: and (b) maintaining the compound produced in step (a) in a second suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to produce the trifluoromethoxylated aryl or trifluormethoxylated heteroaryl having the structure: