A unified strategy for remote C–H fluorination of phenylacetic acids and their homologues at the meta-position

Abstract

The site-selective C–H bond fluorination of substituted aromatics at the electronically and geometrically 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.