Copper-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Difluoroalkylation and Perfluoroalkylation of α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids.

Copper-catalyzed decarboxylative difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids is described. Promoted by dialkyl phosphite, this novel reaction affords fluoroalkylated motifs with excellent stereoselectivity and broad substrate scope under mild reaction conditions from readily available fluoroalkyl iodides and bromides. Preliminary mechanism study suggests that radical pathway was involved in the catalytic cycle and dialkyl phosphite had played an indispensable role in this reaction.