C-H Electrophilic (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes with a newly designed reagent.

The synthesis of an original electrophilic difluoromethylating reagent was successfully achieved upon a straightforward protocol (3 steps). Like a Swiss army knife, this bench-stable reagent allowed the functionalization of various classes of compounds under mild and transition metal-free conditions. Hence, an efficient and operationally simple tool for the construction of C(sp)-, C(sp)- and -CFSOPh bonds was provided, expanding the chemical space of PhSOCF-containing molecules. Late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules and the synthesis of PhSOCF- and HCF-analogs of Lidocaine were also successfully achieved.