Advances in cycloaddition and hydroaddition reaction of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes without defluorination: An alternative approach to CF3-containing compounds

α-(Trifluoromethyl)styrene and its derivatives have found wide applications in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and advanced materials. They are also versatile trifluoromethyl-containing building blocks for the preparation of various trifluoromethyl-containing, fluorine-containing or nonfluorinated compounds. Recently, great efforts have been made to develop diverse reactions for rapidly accessing a wide range of valuable gem‑difluoroalkenes and gem‑difluoroalkylated compounds via defluorinative reaction or the defluorinative ipso-functionalization reaction of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes, respectively. In contrast, α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes remain notably underdeveloped with respect to their use in cycloaddition and hydroaddition reaction with retaining of three CF bonds. This short review herein is aimed to summarize the recent progress on the cycloaddition and hydroaddition reaction including nucleophilic, radical and transition metal-catalyzed addition of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes without accompanying defluorination.