Rhodium-Catalyzed ortho-Selective C-F Bond Borylation of Polyfluoroarenes with Bpin-Bpin.

An ortho-selective C-F bond borylation between N-heterocycle-substituted polyfluoroarenes and Bpin-Bpin with simple and commercially available [Rh(cod)2 ]BF4 as a catalyst is now reported. The reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions with high efficiency and broad substrate scope, even toward monofluoroarene, thus providing a facile access to a wide range of borylated fluoroarenes that are useful for photoelectronic materials. Preliminary mechanistic studies reveal that a Rh(III/V) catalytic cycle via a key intermediate rhodium(III) hydride complex [(H)Rh(III) Ln (Bpin)] may be involved in the reaction.