Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Cross-Coupling of Difluoroalkyl Halides with Alkylboranes under 1 atm of CO.

A palladium catalyzed carbonylative cross-coupling of difluoroalkyl halides with alkyl-9-BBN under 1 atm of CO has been developed. The reaction shows broad substrate scope and high functional group tolerance, even toward complex pharmaceuticals, providing a general and straightforward method to access alkyldifluoroalkyl ketones. Preliminary mechanistic studies reveal that a radical pathway is involved in the reaction.