Zipper polydefluorination-monoborylation of perfluoroalkyl chains.

A zipper reaction achieves complete defluorination of perfluoroalkylated alkenes into linear alkyl boranes with high efficiency, preserving the carbon backbone.

• Why it matters: Defluorination of perfluoroalkyl chains is difficult due to the strength of C-F bonds and their inertness, limiting synthetic applications and functionalization options.
• What they did: The authors developed a scalable zipper reaction that converts perfluoroalkylated alkenes into useful alkyl boranes, with fluoride recovered as LiF, and extended it to gem-difluoroalkenes as intermediates.
• The result: This method enables efficient, selective defluorination, facilitating new pathways for functionalizing perfluoroalkyl compounds and advancing fluorine chemistry.