Recent advances in the diverse transformations of trifluoromethyl alkenes

Abstract

The development of novel and practical methods for the synthesis of fluoro-functionalised molecules is a rapidly growing field in modern synthetic chemistry. Among these, α-trifluoromethyl alkenes are versatile synthons that have been successfully used via activation of C(sp³)–F bonds. In this review, a summary of established strategies is provided, highlighting defluorination functionalisation, difunctionalisation, and other types of reactions involving α-trifluoromethyl alkenes for constructing fluoro-containing molecules. In addition, emphasis is placed on the scope and reaction mechanisms, including unsolved scientific problems and future directions in this field.