gem-Difluoroallylation of Unactivated Alkanes Enabled by Core-Fluorinated Acridine d-HAT Catalysis
Chunhua Xu1, Zhijie Zhang1, Yuan Kong1
1State Key Laboratory for Development and Utilization of Forest Food Resources, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China.
Abstract:
Herein, we report a metal-free gem-difluoroallylation of unactivated alkanes enabled by core-fluorinated acridine d-HAT catalysis. Systematic catalyst evaluation reveals that substitution at the acridine core profoundly influences reactivity, with a 2-fluoro substituent providing optimal performance. The transformation proceeds under mild conditions and affords gem-difluoroalkenes with a broad substrate scope. Mechanistic studies support a radical pathway involving hydrogen atom transfer and subsequent β-fluoride elimination. These findings establish acridine core engineering as a general strategy for nitrogen-centered d-HAT catalysis.
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