Preparing (Multi)Fluoroarenes as Building Blocks for Synthesis: Nickel-Catalyzed Borylation of Polyfluoroarenes via C-F Bond Cleavage

The [Ni(IMes)(2)]-catalyzed transformation of fluoroarenes into arylboronic acid pinacol esters via C-F bond activation and transmetalation with bis(pinacolato)diboron (B(2)pin(2)) is reported. Various partially fluorinated arenes with different degrees of fluorination were converted into their corresponding boronate esters.