Efficient synthesis of functionalized trifluoromethyl cyclopropanes via cyclopropanation of α-trifluoromethyl styrenes with chloroacetonitrile and ethyl chloroacetate.

An efficient and practical method for the synthesis of functionalized trifluoromethyl cyclopropanes via cyclopropanation of α-trifluoromethyl styrenes with chloroacetonitrile or ethyl chloroacetate was developed. In some cases, the mixture of trans- and cis-isomers could be separated by column chromatography. The configurations of the trans-/cis-isomers were further confirmed by heteronuclear 1H–19F NOESY experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]