A Unified Strategy for Remote C-H Fluorination of Phenylacetic Acids and Their Homologues at meta-Position

Abstract

The site-selective C-H bond fluorination of substituted aromarics at the electronic and geometric disfavored meta-position is of great interest and importance in medical chemistry and organic chemistry, yet has remained unexplored to date. By employing a newly developed U-shaped template, we herein report for the first time the Pd-catalysed meta-selective C-H bond fluorination of phenylacetic acids and their homologues. The reaction features high site-selectivity and is compatible with diverse homologues of phenylacetic acids, constituting a unified strategy for the remote aromatic C-H bond fluorination of carboxylic acids.