When subjected to arylboranes, anionic
trifluoromethyl and difluorobenzyl
palladium(II) complexes undergo fluoride abstraction followed by 1,1-migratory
insertion. The resulting intermediate fluoroalkyl species can be induced
to undergo a subsequent transmetalation and reductive elimination
from either an in situ formed fluoroboronate (FB(Ar3)−) or an exogenous boronic acid/ester (ArB(OR)2) and nucleophilic activator, representing a net defluorinative
arylation reaction. The latter method enabled a structurally diverse
substrate scope to be prepared from either an isolated palladium-CF3 complex, or from Pd(PPh3)4 and other
commercially available reagents.