Trifluoromethyl-substituted aromatic compounds were easily synthesized by the oxidative desulfurization-fluorination reaction of readily accessible methyl arenecarbodithioates using [n-Bu₄N]H₂F₃ and 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBH) under extremely mild conditions. Use of N-bromosuccinimide or N-iodosuccinimide instead of DBH afforded difluoro(methylthio)methyl-substituted aromatics. In a similar way, 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl-substituted aromatic compounds were readily prepared from the corresponding α,β-unsaturated carbodithioates.

When CFBr₃ was treated with n-BuLi at -130 °C, thermally labile LiCFBr₂ was generated which reacted smoothly with a coexisting electrophile RR’CO to give an adduct RR’C(OH)CFBr₂ in good yield.