para-Selective C-H bond functionalization of iodobenzenes.

Selective C-H bond activation and functionalization is an invaluable and eco-friendly tool for new chemical bond construction. Recently, great progress has been made in the highly selective ortho- and meta-C-H bond functionalization of arene derivatives. In contrast, the remote para-C-H bond functionalization still remains a challenge. Herein, an oxidation-induced strategy for para-selective C-H bond functionalization of iodobenzenes towards the synthesis of various useful asymmetric diaryl ethers was demonstrated. This strategy not only provides a novel method for para-C-H bond functionalization, but also proposes a general idea for the development of new, highly selective para-C-H functionalization reactions.