Magnesium Metal-Mediated Reductive Trifluoromethylation of Aldehydes with Phenyl Trifluoromethyl Sulfone

An unprecedented reductive nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of aldehydes by using phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone is reported. Mercury(II) chloride efficiently activates magnesium metal to induce the desulfonylative trifluoromethylation process. The new reductive trifluoromethylation provides an alternative method for efficient trifluoromethylation of non-enolizable or enolizable aldehydes with readily available phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone reagent.