A Rapid Access to New Fluorinated 1,3-Dienes and Benzylic Fluorides via Metathesis on Propargylic Fluorides

The cross enyne metathesis reaction of propargylic fluoride (+)-12 with ethylene affords the enantioenriched 1,3-diene (+)-14 having fluorine-containing side chain at 2-position in good yield. Upon Diels-Alder reaction, followed by aromatization, this diene affords the new benzylic fluorides (+)-16 and (+)-17 in high ee values. This new strategy has been successfully extended to the corresponding gem-difluoro diene 21 and benzylic fluorides 23 and 24.