Rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of vinyl fluoride (VF) followed by careful oxidation of the regiospecifically produced 2-fluoropropanal afforded 2-fluoropropanoic acid (2) in about 70% yield. Dehydrogenation of 2 to α-fluoroacrylic acid (1) was accomplished by a chlorination-dehydrochlorination reaction in more than 60% yield.
