Direct vinylation and difluorovinylation of arylboronic acids using vinyl- and 2,2-difluorovinyl tosylates via the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling.

General reaction conditions were developed for the Pd(0)-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl boronic acids with a simple electrophilic vinylation reagent, vinyl tosylate, providing access to styrene derivatives in good yields. The easily accessible vinyl tosylate represents a stable and less toxic alternative to the vinyl halides and the triflate/nonaflate derivatives. Furthermore, this methodology was expanded to provide a facile and straightforward approach for the introduction of a gem-difluorovinyl substituent onto an aromatic ring using the similar and also readily available 2,2-difluorovinyl tosylate as the electrophilic complement.