Synthesis of 3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl compounds from some enolizable aldehydes

2,2,2-Trifluoroethyldiphenylphosphine oxide [Ph2P(O)CH2CF3] () is known to give no Horner reaction product with enolizable aldehydes. We found, however, that some enolizable aldehydes such as N-Boc-pyrrolidine-2-aldehyde () gave the expected 3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl compounds by reaction with . The products could be further transformed to some 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl-substituted nitrogen-containing heterocycles by using radical cyclization or Heck reaction.