Towards a practical perfluoroalkylation of (hetero)arenes with perfluoroalkyl bromides using cobalt nanocatalysts

A convenient methodology for perfluoroalkylation including trifluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes with perfluoroalkyl bromides was developed. Key for the success is the use of a specific cobalt-based nanocatalyst, which can be recycled at least up to 4 times. The scope of this first cobalt-catalyzed perfluoroalkylation is presented and detailed catalyst characterization (e.g. analytical STEM, XPS, and XRD) has been carried out.