Efficient oxidative ipso-fluorination of para-substituted phenols using pyridinium polyhydrogen fluoride in combination with hypervalent iodine(III) reagents

Diacetoxyiodobenzene (PIDA) and bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodobenzene (PIFA) in the presence of pyridinium polyhydrogen fluoride (PPHF) are effective for the fluorination of para-substituted phenols to give a variety of 4-fluorocyclohexa-2,5-dienones in a good yield. (R,S)-1,1′-Bi-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol (and its monoacetate) yields atropoisomeric fluorocyclohexadienones. The 4-substituted carbamate open-chain phenols were readily converted to fluorohydroindolenone and fluorohydroquinolenone derivatives by intramolecular conjugate addition.