Nickel-Catalyzed C–H (Poly)addition of Alkenes and Alkynes with Polyfluoroarenes Enabled by an Unsymmetric N-Heterocyclic Carbene

Nickel-Catalyzed C–H (Poly)addition of Alkenes and Alkynes with Polyfluoroarenes Enabled by an Unsymmetric N-Heterocyclic Carbene | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Nickel-Catalyzed C–H (Poly)addition of Alkenes and Alkynes with Polyfluoroarenes Enabled by an Unsymmetric N-Heterocyclic Carbene Shi-Liang Shi, Junbao Ma, Binyang Jiang, Pei-Pei Xie, Guangming Wang, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8778284/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Fluorinated small molecules and polymers are widely used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials science. Yet, their unified, highly efficient preparation from abundant feedstocks with excellent atom-, step-, and redox-economy remains elusive. Herein, we report a highly regioselective hydroarylation of diverse alkenes with polyfluoroarenes. This transformation is mediated by a rationally designed unsymmetric N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand, whose distinct steric profile accelerates both C–H activation and reductive elimination, affording superior reactivity and selectivity. Furthermore, this catalytic paradigm is extended to the direct C–H polyaddition of dienes and diynes, yielding copolymers with exceptional thermal stability and tunable fluorescence properties. Notably, this protocol aligns with the principles of sustainable chemistry, characterized by 100% atom economy, high step economy, and the absence of pre-functionalized reagents. This study establishes a versatile platform for the C–H functionalization and polymerization of polyfluoroarenes, paving the way for advancing polymer synthesis via C–H polyaddition strategies. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Catalysis/Homogeneous catalysis Physical sciences/Chemistry/Organic chemistry/Synthetic chemistry methodology Physical sciences/Chemistry/Polymer chemistry/Polymer synthesis Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SI260128.pdf SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8778284","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":585177566,"identity":"389d0a51-2386-4040-ae7d-cbc643e66aea","order_by":0,"name":"Shi-Liang 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