Photoinduced Ni-catalyzed carbohalogenation of monofluoro, gem-difluoro, and trifluoromethyl tethered alkenes†

A photoexcited nickel-catalyzed carbohalogenation reaction of fluoroalkenes has been demonstrated to afford halofluoroalkyl oxindoles featuring a quaternary center. The broad substrate scope with retention of fluorine atoms, followed by efficient synthetic transformations of iodo-gem-difluoroalkyl oxindoles, highlights the advantages of this methodology. Additionally, control experiments and DFT calculations have been conducted to elucidate the significance of the triplet-excited state of the nickel catalyst.