Organic compounds containing the trifluoromethyl (CF3) or pentafluorothio (or pentafluoro-λ6-sulfanyl, SF5) groups play an important role in organofluorine chemistry because of their special properties, including low surface energy, hydrophobicity, high chemical resistance, high thermal stability and high electronegativity. SF5, coined as the ‘super-trifluoromethyl’ group, is often preferred to CF3 as it is more electronegative, lipophilic and chemically stable and possesses a higher steric effect. The current interest in the drug discovery of fluorinated substituents is based on the possibility of improving both the metabolic stability and bioavailability of receptor binders upon the incorporation of substituents with one or more fluorine atoms. Several blockbuster drugs include such a group, demonstrating the prominent role of the trifluoromethyl group in the area of drug discovery. New molecules incorporating the SF5 group are thus potential alternatives to already existing biologically active molecules containing the CF3 substitution[1].
[1] Jean C. González Espiet, Dalice M. Pi?ero Cruz, Juan A. Cintrón Cruz . “Structural characterization and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 2-iodo-4-(penta-fluoro-λ6-sulfan-yl)benzo-nitrile.” Acta Crystallographica Section E: Crystallographic Communications 76 (2020): Pages 231-234.
