Cobalt-Catalyzed Fluoroalkylation Carbonylation of Unactivated Alkenes via Distal Aryl Migration

A cobalt-catalyzed trifluoromethylation carbonylation of unactivated alkenes via distal aryl migration has been developed, enabling the highly regioselective synthesis of trifluoroalkylated 1,4-diketones. This method operates under mild conditions and exhibits broad functional group compatibility. In addition, the protocol can be extended to the difluoroalkylative carbonylation of unactivated alkenes. The synthetic utility of this method has been demonstrated by scalable synthesis and further transformations of the products into diverse fluoroalkylated heteroarenes. Mechanistic investigations support a radical pathway with distal aryl migration.