Nucleophilic fluoroalkylation of (bromomethyl)pinacolborane using silicon reagents

A method for the synthesis of pinacol boronic esters bearing a fluorinated group at the α-carbon atom (RfCH2Bpin) from corresponding bromomethyl borane (BrCH2Bpin) and fluorinated silanes (RfSiMe3) is described. The fluoroalkylation reaction involves formation of borate anions followed by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution of bromine.