Visible-light-induced synthesis of a variety of trifluoromethylated alkenes from potassium vinyltrifluoroborates by photoredox catalysis.

A facile synthesis of trifluoromethylated alkenes by the radical-mediated trifluoromethylation of vinyltrifluoroborates has been developed. Togni's reagent serves as a CF(3) radical precursor in the presence of the photoredox catalyst [Ru(bpy)(3)](PF(6))(2) under visible light irradiation. This new photocatalytic protocol can be applicable to a wide variety of vinylborates containing electronically diverse substituents and hetero-aromatics.