Difluoroalkenes are alkenes that have two fluorines on their sp2 carbon. Difluoroalkenes that have the fluorines on the same carbon, a geminal relationship, are called gem-difluoroalkenes. They have a unique reactivity derived from the fluorines. Generally, the alkenes are known to react with electrophiles. But gem-difluoroalkenes can react also with nucleophiles, since their carbon-carbon double bond is electrophilically activated by the two fluorine atoms. By using this characteristic, several fluorine-containing compounds have been prepared.
Because of their biological activities and physical properties, gem-difluoroalkene compounds have been attracting much interest in various fields such as medical and agricultural chemistry and material sciences.