The present invention provides a process of producing a trifluoromethoxylated
aryl or trifluoromethoxylated heteroaryl having the structure:whereinA is an
aryl or heteroaryl, each with or without subsutitution; and R1 is —H, -(
alkyl), -(alkenyl), -(alkynyl), -(
aryl), -(heteroaryl), -(alkylaryl), -(alkylheteroaryl), —NH-(
alkyl), —N(
alkyl)7, —NH-(alkenyl), —NH-(alkynyl) —NH-(aryl), —NH-(heteroaryl), —O-(alkyl), —O-(alkenyl), —O-(alkynyl), —O-(aryl), —O-(heteroaryl), —S-(alkyl), —S-(alkenyl), —S-(alkynyl), —S-(aryl), or —S-(heteroaryl), comprising:(a) reacting a compound having the structure:with a trifluoromethylating agent in the presence of a base in a first suitable
solvent under conditions to produce a compound having the structure:and(b) maintaining the compound produced in step (a) in a second suitable
solvent under conditions sufficient to produce the trifluoromethoxylated aryl or trifluormethoxylated heteroaryl having the structure: