A high yield room temperature preparation of the1-bromo-2,2-difluorovinylzinc reagent [CF
2CBrZnCl] (>89 % ) was achieved via
insitu metallation of CF
3CH
2Br or CF
2CHBr with LDA in presence of ZnCl
2. Palladium catalyzed cross-coupling of this zinc reagent with aryl iodides provides α-bromo-β,β-trifluorostyrenes (ArCBr
CF
2) in 64&
ndash;86 % isolated yields, in an essentially one-pot procedure.