C-F Bond Activation Mediated by Phosphorus Compounds.

The activation and functionalization of C-F bonds has garnered significant attention in the scientific community as a strategy to mitigate toxicity and environmental concerns, as well as provide new pathways to agro- and pharmaceutical chemicals and materials. Although several transition-metal-based systems have been developed for this transformation, the use of main-group compounds remains less explored. In recent years, several strategies for C-F bond activation have focused on the use of phosphorus-based reagents. In this Minireview, an overview of strategies is provided that exploits PV and PIII -based Lewis acids as well as PIII Lewis bases in frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) protocols for hydrodefluorination, C-C couplings and C-F derivatizations.