Copper-Mediated Aerobic Oxidative Trifluoromethylation of Terminal Alkynes with Me3SiCF3

An efficient copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of terminal alkynes with nucleophilic trifluoromethylating reagent (Me3SiCF3) was developed. Both aromatic alkynes and aliphatic alkynes were effective, and a variety of functionalities such as amino, −OMe, −CO2Et, −Br, and −NO2 were tolerated under the reaction conditions. This reaction provides a general, straightforward, and practically useful method to prepare trifluoromethylated acetylenes.