Nickel-Catalyzed C-H Trifluoromethylation of Electron-Rich Heteroarenes

The first example of a nickel-catalyzed C–H trifluoromethylation of electron-rich heteroarenes, including imidazopyridines, indoles and thiophenes, has been developed with the commercially available and relatively inexpensive industrial raw material iodotrifluoromethane (CF3I) as the trifluoromethylating reagent. The synthetic potential of this method is demonstrated by its successful application to the direct trifluoromethylation of the biologically active molecules melatonin and zolmitriptan.