C-F Bond Activation in Organic Synthesis

The study related to C-F bond activation for synthetic chemistry and metal-catalyzed C-F bond activation leading to C-C formation is reviewed, and a summary of chemistry on the effective replacement of fluorine with other elements feasible for synthetic chemistry is provided. The observed preference for C-F cleavage at the 2-position of pentafluoropyridine by the use of nickel complexes provides indirect evidence for concerted oxidative addition of the aza-heterocycles through a three-centered transition state. Studies have also shown that the use of nickel carbene complex leads to electronically nonactivated aryl fluorides undergoing cross-coupling reactions affording a variety of biaryls. Selective cleavage of a C-F bond is observed in the cross-coupling reaction of gem-difluoroalkene to form (Z)-fluoroalkene as a major product.