Palladium-Catalyzed Defluorinative Alkylation of gem-Difluorocyclopropanes: Switching Regioselectivity via Simple Hydrazones.

Conventional approaches for Pd-catalyzed ring-opening cross-couplings of gem-difluorocyclopropanes with nucleophiles predominantly deliver the β-fluoroalkene scaffolds (linear selectivity). Herein, we report a cooperative strategy that can completely switch the reaction selectivity to give the alkylated α-fluoroalkene skeletons (branched selectivity). The unique reactivity of hydrazones that enables analogous inner-sphere 3,3'-reductive elimination driven by denitrogenation, as well as the assistance of steric-embedded N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, are the key to switch the regioselectivity. A wide range of hydrazones derived from naturally abundant aryl and alkyl aldehydes are well applicable, and various gem-difluorocyclopropanes, including modified pharmaceutical and biological molecules, can be efficiently functionalized with high value alkylated α-fluorinated alkene motifs under mild conditions.