Synthesis and chemical transformations of diazolyl α,α-difluoroacetates

•An approach to a series of diazolyl α,α-difluoroacetates is developed.•The strategy is based on deoxofluorination of diazolyl glyoxylates with morph-DAST.•Two protocols were developed since some glyoxylates were not reactive upon typical conditions.•Difluoroacetates were transformed to the building blocks promising for medicinal chemistry.