A novel and efficient method for the synthesis of arylboronic acid pinacol esters via a palladium- or iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of aryl fluorides with bis(pinacolato)diboron (Bpin) in the presence of LiHMDS was developed. The Pd-catalyzed defluoroborylation of fluoroarenes is compatible with a variety of functional groups such as primary and secondary amine, ketone, trifluoromethyl, alkoxy, and boryl. Remarkably, no external ligand is required for enhanced conversion efficiency.

A rapid and efficient approach to 3-arylated indenes by reactions of indenes with unactivated fluoroarenes with the assistance of lithium diisopropylamide and hexamethylphosphoramide at room temperature was developed.

A novel and effective method for the construction of highly functionalized aminothiophenes via the cyclization of gem-difluoroalkenes with β-keto tertiary thioamides is described. The reactions proceed smoothly with the assistance of KCO under transition-metal-free conditions, affording a variety of valuable N,N-disubstituted 2-aminothiophenes in moderate to good yields.

A novel and efficient method for the synthesis of difluoromethylated enynes by the reaction of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes with terminal alkynes with the assistance of NaOtBu was described. The mechanism of the reaction might involve the SN2' reaction of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes and a subsequent 1,3-H shift. Isomerization (E → Z) of 1-difluoromethyl-1,3-enynes in the presence of ZrCl4 was also developed.