Electrochemical Cobalt-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling of Alcohols and Trifluoroalkenes via Simultaneous C–F and C–O Bond Cleavage

We report an efficient cross-electrophile coupling strategy for the synthesis of gem-difluoroalkenes from readily available benzyl alcohols and α-trifluoromethyl alkenes. This deoxygenative/defluorinative transformation proceeds via the simultaneous cleavage of strong C–O and C–F bonds under mild electrochemical conditions, generating highly reactive benzyl radicals in situ. The methodology eliminates the need for multistep alcohol preactivation protocols and exhibits a broad substrate scope with functional group tolerance. Its synthetic utility is further demonstrated by gram-scale reactions and the late-stage functionalization of complex molecules. Given the ubiquity of alcohols and the importance of gem-difluoroalkene motifs in pharmaceutical and materials chemistry, this protocol offers a practical and scalable platform for C–C bond formation via radical cross-electrophile coupling.