Kilogram-Scale Preparation of the Easily Available, Low-Cost Electrophilic Trifluomethylating Reagent YlideFluor

A kilogram-scale process for the preparation of a potentially broadly applicable electrophilic trifluoromethylating reagent, (trifluoromethyl)(4-nitrophenyl)bis(carbomethoxy)methylide (YlideFluor), was reported. The reagent was prepared in three steps from a cheap, commercially available starting material, and the price of the reagent is estimated to be as low as $1.5/g. Application of the reagent in the preparation of trifluoromethylated derivatives of two drug molecules in the gram scale was demonstrated.