From C1 to C3: Copper‐Catalyzed gem‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)olefination of α‐Diazo Esters with TMSCF3.

A Cu‐catalyzed gem‐bis(trifluoromethyl)olefination of α‐diazo esters, using TMSCF3 as the only fluorocarbon source, has been developed and provides an exquisite method to access gem‐bis(trifluoromethyl)alkenes. This unprecedented olefination process involves a carbene migratory insertion into "CuCF3" to generate the α‐CF3‐substituted organocopper species, which then undergoes β‐fluoride elimination and two consecutive addition‐elimination processes to give the desired products. The key to this efficient one‐pot C1‐to‐C3 synthetic protocol lies in the controllable double (over single and triple) trifluoromethylations of the gem‐difluoroalkene intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]