Efficient Decarboxylative/Defluorinative Alkylation for the Synthesis of <scp><i>gem</i>‐Difluoroalkenes</scp> through an <scp>S_N2</scp>’‐Type Route

Abstract

Comprehensive Summary An efficient decarboxylative/defluorinative alkylation for synthesizing gem ‐difluoroalkenes is described, providing a general method for installation of the challenging alkyl fragments containing α‐electron‐withdrawing groups into α‐trifluoromethyl alkenes. Mechanistic studies suggest that this process involves an S N 2′‐type synthetic route in the absence of transition‐metal catalysts or photocatalysis. Moreover, this protocol can easily be scaled up, and successfully applied to the modification of biologically active molecules, thus complementing methodologies that give access to structurally versatile gem ‐difluoroalkenes.

Topics & Concepts