meta-Selective C-H Arylation of Fluoroarenes and Simple Arenes.

Fluorine is known to promote ortho we employed an activated norbornene to trap the ortho-palladation intermediate and relay to the meta-position, leading to a meta-selective C-H arylation of fluoroarenes. Deuterium experiment suggests that this meta-arylation is initiated by ortho C-H activation and the catalytic cycle is terminated by the C-2 protonation. The dual ligand system is crucial for the observed high reactivty and site-selectivity. Applying this approach to simple benzene or other arenes also affords arylation products in good yield and site-selectivity.