ChemInform Abstract: Electrophilic Fluorination Mediated by Cinchona Alkaloids: Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Fluoro-α-phenylglycine Derivatives

A decisive step forward: A one-step fluorination on modified cinchona alkaloids produced a new range of enantiopure fluorinating agents that display high enantioselectivities in electrophilic fluorination. The first enantioselective synthesis of N-protected α-fluorophenylglycine derivatives was achieved with an enantiomeric excess up to 94 % [Eq. (a); R=Et, CN; HMDS=hexamethyldisilazanide].