Dye-incorporated coordination polymers for direct photocatalytic trifluoromethylation of aromatics at metabolically susceptible positions

Direct trifluoromethylation of unactivated aromatic rings at metabolically susceptible positions is highly desirable in pharmaceutical applications. By incorporating thiophenes into the backbone of triphenylamine to enlarge its π-system, a new approach for constructing coordination polymers is reported for direct trifluoromethylation without prefunctionalization of the aryl precursors. The improved light-harvesting ability and well-modulated excited state redox potential of the designed polymers endow the generated CF3 radicals with suitable reactivity and enhance radical adduct oxidation in pores. The well-configurated interactions between the organic ligands distort the coordination geometry to create active interaction sites within the coordination polymer; thus, the substrates could be docked near the photoredox-active centres. The synergistic electronic and spatial effects in the confined pores balance the contradictory demands of electronic effects and reaction dynamics, achieving regio- and diastereoselective discrimination among reaction sites with unremarkable electronic/steric differences.