Photocatalyst‐Free Trifluoromethylation of Indolizines Through an Electron Donor–Acceptor Complex
Abstract
Indolizine scaffolds have attracted considerable interest owing to their broad potential in medicinal chemistry. In this work, we describe an original strategy for functionalizing the C-3 position of the indolizine core through a light-mediated three-component trifluoroalkylation reaction. This approach eliminates the need for a photocatalyst, enabling reactions to be conducted under milder and more environmentally friendly conditions than conventional trifluoroalkylation methods. Based on mechanistic investigations, we propose that the reaction proceeds via the in situ formation of an electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex. The successful incorporation of a wide range of substituents at the C-3 position demonstrates the versatility and robustness of the developed protocol, enabling the synthesis of 20 trifluoromethylindolizine derivatives with yields up to 82%. Overall, this methodology simplifies access to C-3 functionalized indolizines and facilitates the exploration of new structures of potential biological interest.
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BibTeX
@article{coutant2026photocatalystfree,
title = {{Photocatalyst‐Free Trifluoromethylation of Indolizines Through an Electron Donor–Acceptor Complex}},
author = {Corinne Coutant and Konan Jean‐fabrice Koffi and Lielou Lantigner and Pascal Retailleau and Christian Herrero and Christine Tran and Abdallah Hamze and Sandrine Piguel},
journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ejoc.70921},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05847997v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Photocatalyst‐Free Trifluoromethylation of Indolizines Through an Electron Donor–Acceptor Complex
AU - Corinne Coutant
AU - Konan Jean‐fabrice Koffi
AU - Lielou Lantigner
AU - Pascal Retailleau
AU - Christian Herrero
AU - Christine Tran
AU - Abdallah Hamze
AU - Sandrine Piguel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - European Journal of Organic Chemistry
DO - 10.1002/ejoc.70921
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05847997v1
AB - Indolizine scaffolds have attracted considerable interest owing to their broad potential in medicinal chemistry. In this work, we describe an original strategy for functionalizing the C-3 position of the indolizine core through a light-mediated three-component trifluoroalkylation reaction. This approach eliminates the need for a photocatalyst, enabling reactions to be conducted under milder and more environmentally friendly conditions than conventional trifluoroalkylation methods. Based on mechanistic investigations, we propose that the reaction proceeds via the in situ formation of an electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex. The successful incorporation of a wide range of substituents at the C-3 position demonstrates the versatility and robustness of the developed protocol, enabling the synthesis of 20 trifluoromethylindolizine derivatives with yields up to 82%. Overall, this methodology simplifies access to C-3 functionalized indolizines and facilitates the exploration of new structures of potential biological interest.
SN - 1434-193X
SN - 1099-0690
ER -