Photocatalytic alkene reduction by a B12-TiO2 hybrid catalyst coupled with C-F bond cleavage for gem-difluoroolefin synthesis

Photocatalytic syntheses of gem-difluoroolefins were performed using the B-12-TiO2 hybrid catalyst during the C=C bond reduction of alpha-trifluoromethyl styrenes with C-F bond cleavage at room temperature under nitrogen. The gem-difluoroolefins were used as synthetic precursors for fluorinated cyclopropanes.