Synthesis of polyfluorinated aryl ethers via ligand-free palladium-catalyzed CF activation of pentafluorobenzene

An efficient, ligand-free palladium-catalyzed method for the cross coupling reaction of pentafluorobenzene with phenols was developed. This reaction proceeds via a highly selective CF bond activation in the 3-position and is compatible with a variety of functional groups, delivering polyfluorinated aryl ethers in moderate to excellent yields.