Recent trends in the chemistry of triflamides

Triflamides and their numerous derivatives continue to attract the interest of organic and physical chemists due to their unique structural properties and reactivity caused by strong electron-withdrawing effect, high NH acidity and nucleofugality. They are used as synthons for the construction of heterocyclic systems (including enantioselective cyclizations), ligands for metal complex catalysts, counterions in low-melting ionic liquids, etc. The triflate group at nitrogen imparts stability to an otherwise unstable amine, amide, or sulfonamide derivatives of different type. The review summarizes recent trends in the chemistry of triflamides focusing on synthetic aspects, and outlines milestones and challenges for future investigations.