Defluoroalkylation of Trifluoromethane with Organolithium Reagents: Mechanism and Synthesis of Fluoroalkenes

Abstract Trifluoromethane (HCF 3 , HFC‐23) is a byproduct of fluoropolymer production that has limited applications. It is often stored or destroyed at the point of production, but if released into the environment is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 14 600 times that of CO 2 . State‐of‐the‐art chemical technologies for upgrading HCF 3 typically occur with conservation of the CF 3 group. These approaches will come under increased scrutiny as concern over the environmental impact of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continues to grow. A more sustainable approach involves synthetic transformations that repurpose the atomic content of HCF 3 while also destroying the CF 3 group. In this paper, we report a rare example of the transformation of HCF 3 into a fluoroalkene functional group through defluoroalkylation. We rationalise product formation through DFT calculations, scale‐up the synthesis through continuous flow methods, and show that a fluoroalkene reagent derived from HCF 3 is a competent nucleophile for the fluoroethenylation of a range of aldehydes.