Difluorocarbene transfer is mostly limited to reactions that utilize its intrinsic electrophilicity. Now, a controllable palladium-catalysed difluorocarbene transfer reaction is reported that involves nucleophilic and electrophilic palladium difluorocarbene species. The selective reactions between arylboronic acids and the difluorocarbene precursor BrCF2PO(OEt)2 give four different products—difluoromethylated and tetrafluoroethylated arenes and their corresponding fluoroalkylated ketones.
- Xia-Ping Fu
- Xiao-Song Xue
- Xingang Zhang
