Access to cyclic gem-difluoroacyl scaffolds via electrochemical and visible light photocatalytic radical tandem cyclization of heteroaryl chlorodifluoromethyl ketones.

A variety of unprecedented scaffolds containing a difluoroacyl moiety were obtained in moderate to good yields, with excellent diastereoselectivity, via electrochemical or photochemical activation of difluoroacyl heteroaryles with a series of olefinic substrates.