Treatment of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes with arylboronic esters and MeMgCl in the presence of a rhodium(I) catalyst affords gem-difluoroalkenes. The reaction proceeds through the addition of arylrhodium(I) species across the electron-deficient carbon–carbon double bond and the subsequent β-fluoride elimination.
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Miura et al. (2008) studied this question.