Abstract:
The present invention provides compositions and methods for the selective C-H fluorination of nitrogen-containing heteroarenes with AgF2, which has previously been considered too reactive for practical, selective C-H fluorination. Fluorinated heteroarenes are prevalent in numerous pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials. However, the reactions used to introduce fluorine into these molecules require pre-functionalized substrates or the use of F2 gas. The present invention provides a mild and general method for the C-H fluorination of nitrogen-containing heteroarene compounds to 2-fluoro-heteroarenes with commercially available AgF2. In various embodiments, these reactions occur at ambient temperature within one hour and occur with exclusive selectivity for fluorination at the 2-position. Exemplary reaction conditions are effective for fluorinating diazine heteroarenes to form a single fluorinated isomer.