Selective Ortho‐Hydroxylation–Defluorination of 2‐Fluorophenolates with a Bis(μ‐oxo)dicopper(III) Species

AbstractThe bis(μ‐oxo)dicopper(III) species [CuIII2(μ‐O)2(m‐XYLMeAN)]2+ (1) promotes the electrophilic ortho‐hydroxylation–defluorination of 2‐fluorophenolates to give the corresponding catechols, a reaction that is not accomplishable with a (η2:η2‐O2)dicopper(II) complex. Isotopic labeling studies show that the incoming oxygen atom originates from the bis(μ‐oxo) unit. Ortho‐hydroxylation–defluorination occurs selectively in intramolecular competition with other ortho‐substituents such as chlorine or bromine.