Deoxyfluorination of Electron-Deficient Phenols

In this study, we report a facile synthesis of 2-chloro-1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium salts in aqueous media under ambient conditions using hypochlorite as a chlorinating agent. In addition, an air-stable and moisture-insensitive deoxyfluorination reagent based on poly[hydrogen fluoride] salt is presented, which is capable of converting electron-deficient phenols or aryl silyl ethers into the corresponding aryl fluorides in the presence of DBU as a base, with good to excellent yields and high tolerance to functional groups.