Ruthenium-Catalyzed Olefin Cross-Metathesis with Tetrafluoroethylene and Analogous Fluoroolefins

This Communication describes a successful olefin cross-metathesis with tetrafluoroethylene and its analogues. A key to the efficient catalytic cycle is interconversion between two thermodynamically stable, generally considered sluggish, Fischer carbenes. This newly demonstrated catalytic transformation enables easy and short-step synthesis of a new class of partially fluorinated olefins bearing plural fluorine atoms, which are particularly important and valuable compounds in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry as well as the materials and polymer industries.