With the optimized reaction conditions in hand, we subsequently examined the scope of the 1, 4-acylfluorination reaction (
Schemes 1 and
2). As acyl fluorides are accessible from the corresponding acyl chlorides or carboxylic acids, we directly mixed 4-bromobenzoyl chloride (
5a), cesium fluoride,
gem-difluoroenyne (
1a) and the phosphine catalyst and we afforded allenone
3aa in 95% yield. With regard to acyl chlorides, halogen groups such as chloro (
3ba) and iodo (
3ca) were compatible.
n-Butyl substituted benzoyl chloride (
3da) can be converted to the product in moderate yield. Electron-deficient substrates bearing cyano (
3ea), methoxycarbonyl (
3fa), trifluoromethyl (
3ga) and nitro (
3ha) groups readily participated in this reaction. The reaction with electron-neutral benzoyl fluoride can afford the allenone
3ia in 52% yield on gram scale. Acyl chlorides bearing a heteroaryl (
3ja, 3ka) group also underwent the acylfluorination successfully. A series of acyl fluorides were isolated and applied to acylfluorination (
Scheme 1b). In the cases of aromatic carboxylic acids, the reaction of
m-methoxy (
3la),
p-methoxy (
3ma) benzoic acid and 7-quinolinecarboxylic acid (
3na) proceeded efficiently. Notably, unstable aliphatic acyl fluorides were also compatible and moderate yields of the corresponding allenones (
3oa, 3qa) can be obtained. This protocol can be used in the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals, as shown by the reactions of probenecid, bexarotene, lumacaftor intermediate and febuxostat (
3pa-
3sa). We subsequently explored the scope of
gem-difluoroenynes using 4-bromobenzoyl fluoride (
Scheme 2a). The difluoroenynes bearing either electron-deficient or electron-rich groups can participate in the acylfluorination to produce the corresponding allenones (
3ab-
3ag). Various alkynyl substituents such as methoxynaphthyl (
3ah), thienyl (
3ai), cyclohexyl (
3aj) and cyclohexenyl (
3ak) can be introduced into allenone molecules.