Synthesis of fluorinated oxygen- and sulfur-containing heteroaromatics

•Syntheses of fluorinated oxygen- and sulfur-containing heteroaromatics are reviewed.•Both direct and indirect methods for preparing fluorinated rings are described.•Nucleophilic and electrophilic sources of fluorine are compared.

The incorporation of fluorine into a target molecule may have a considerable impact on its reactivity, selectivity, biological activity and physical properties. This is especially true in medicinal chemistry where fluorine is often employed as a bioisostere of hydrogen and where many important drug compounds also feature heteroaromatic rings. This work complements existing reviews on the synthesis of fluorinated, aromatic heterocycles, with a focus on less common oxygen-containing heteroaromatics as well as their sulfur-based analogues.

Graphical abstractThis review covers methods for the incorporation of fluorine into oxygen- and sulfur-containing heteroaromatic compounds.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide