Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Directed C-H Coupling with Methyl Trifluoroacrylate: Diverse Synthesis of Fluoroalkenes and Heterocycles.

An example of Rh-catalyzed C-H activation with methyl trifluoroacrylate for the synthesis of fluoroolefins and heterocycles (benzoindolizines) is reported. The types of products were determined by the directing group. The benzoindolizines and fluoroolefins were obtained by using pyridine and pyrazole as the directing group, correspondingly. These transformations present a number of advantages, such as oxidant-free reaction conditions and broad functional group tolerance. Moreover, this reaction greatly extends the application of fluoroolefins.