Cooperative Catalysis: A Strategy to Synthesize Trifluoromethyl-thioesters from Aldehydes

A cooperative catalysis between a photoredox and a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalyst has been developed to synthesize trifluoromethylthioesters from aldehydes. This reaction is mild, highly selective, operationally simple, works under redox neutral condition, and exhibits a broad substrate scope with high functional group tolerance. The synthetic utility of this method is demonstrated by the late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules, making it amenable for drug discovery.