Fluorinations of unsymmetrical diaryliodonium salts containing ortho-sidearms; influence of sidearm on selectivity

Activated aromatics were reacted with two different fluoroidoane reagents 1 and 2 in the presence of triflic acid to prepare only the para-substituted diaryliodonium salts. With fluoroiodane 1 the unsymmetrical diaryliodonium salts contained an ortho-propan-2-ol sidearm, whereas the alcohol sidearm was eliminated to form an ortho-styrene sidearm in the reaction with fluoroiodane 2. Only the diaryliodonium salts containing a styrene sidearm were fluorinated successfully to deliver para-fluorinated aromatics in good yields.