The synthesis of α,α-difluoroacetamides via electrophilic fluorination in the mixed-solvent of water and PEG-400

•Mild conditions.•Using minimum amount of industrialized Selectfluor®.•In mixed-solvent of water and PEG-400 (VH2O:VPEG-400=3:1)(VH2O:VPEG-400=3:1).•Along without additional phase-transfer catalyst.•Extensive universality.

Under mild conditions, a series of α,α-difluoro-β-ketoamides were synthesized with Selectfluor® as the F+ source in the presence of K2CO3 in the mixed-solvent of water and PEG-400 (VH2O:VPEG-400=3:1)(VH2O:VPEG-400=3:1), without additional phase-transfer catalyst. By using this approach, most cases examined in this study proceeded in nearly quantitative conversions regardless of the electronic nature of the substituent pattern.

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