CF 3 SO 2 X (X = Na, Cl) as reagents for trifluoromethylation, trifluoromethylsulfenyl-, -sulfinyl- and -sulfonylation. Part 1: Use of CF 3 SO 2 Na.

Sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate, CF ₃ SO ₂ Na, and trifluoromethanesulfonyl chloride, CF ₃ SO ₂ Cl, are two popular reagents that are widely used for the direct trifluoromethylation of a large range of substrates. Further, these two reagents are employed for the direct trifluoromethylsulfenylation and trifluoromethylsulfinylation, the introduction of the SCF ₃ and the S(O)CF ₃ group, respectively. In addition to the aforementioned reactions, the versatility of these two reagents is presented in other reactions such as sulfonylation and chlorination. This first part is dedicated to sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate.