Recent Developments in the Polychloroalkylation by Use of Simple Alkyl Chlorides

Abstract Owing to their easy availability and cheapness, simple alkyl chlorides are good raw materials for introducing complex polychlorinated groups. Polychlorinated hydrocarbons units, such as di‐ or trichloromethyl groups, not only widely found in pesticide and bioactive molecule, but also can be as a precursor to converted into different functional groups such as −COOH, −CHO and −CO. The direct polychloroalkylation reaction by using simple alkyl chlrides has been considered to be an important tool for synthesizing complex polychlorinated compounds. This review summarizes recent developments, especially free radical strategies, in the polychloroalkylation of different substrates (such as 2‐acylpyridines, benzyl tertiary amines, alkenes, imine and 1, n ‐enynes). We hope that this review provides a new perspective on this field and also provides a reference to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable methods. magnified image