Difluoromethyl Phenyl Sulfone, a Difluoromethylidene Equivalent: Use in the Synthesis of 1,1‐Difluoro‐1‐alkenes

A nucleophilic substitution–elimination reaction strategy in which difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone is used as a selective difluoromethylidene equivalent allows the facile synthesis of 1,1-difluoro-1-alkenes from primary alkyl halides (see scheme).