We present an allylic polyfluoroarylation reaction with broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance, using organozinc reagents under mild conditions. A catalytic amount of triphenylphosphine oxide efficiently promotes iodine-zinc exchange reaction between polyfluoroaryl iodide and dimethylzinc, and the resulting phosphine oxide-activated polyfluoroarylzinc undergoes substitution reaction with allylic halides to afford the corresponding polyfluoroarylated products. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An aerobic oxidative cross-coupling reaction of alkenes with polyfluorobenzenes, through palladium-catalyzed allylic C-H activation, is reported. This attractive route provides a new way to forge allylic C-C bonds of valuable products, in good yields, with high regioselectivity.