Selective C–F bond carboxylation of <i>gem</i>-difluoroalkenes with CO₂ by photoredox/palladium dual catalysis

Abstract

The catalytic C-F bond carboxylation of organofluorines with CO₂ gas remains a challenging problem in synthetic chemistry. Here, we describe a selective defluorinative carboxylation of <i>gem</i>-difluoroalkenes through photoredox/palladium dual catalysis. The C-F bond activation is enabled by single electron reduction through photoredox catalysis to generate a fluorovinyl radical, which subsequently participates in an unprecedented palladium-catalyzed carboxylation. This novel C-F functionalization proved applicable to a wide range of substituted <i>gem</i>-difluoroalkenes, providing a rapid access to valuable α-fluoroacrylic acids.