Synthesis of trifluoromethylated 2H-azirines through Togni reagent-mediated trifluoromethylation followed by PhIO-mediated azirination.

The reaction of enamine compounds with the Togni reagent in the presence of CuI afforded ß-trifluoromethylated enamine intermediates, which were converted directly to biologically interesting trifluoromethylated 2H-azirines by an iodosobenzene (PhIO)-mediated intramolecular azirination in a one-pot process.