Synthesis of α-difluoro and α-difluoro-β-trifluoroketo-derivatives as potential inhibitors for Cholesterol Ester Hydrolase

Pancreatic Cholesterol Ester Hydrolase, a serine esterase, catalyzes the hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters in the gut. We report the convergent synthesis of α-difluoro-β-trifluoroketo-(5,10,15) and of α-difluoroketo-derivatives (22,23) as inhibitors of this enzyme that were designed to generate stable tetrahedral reaction intermediates.