Nonpolar Solvent a Key for Highly Regioselective S_NAr Reaction in the Case of 2,4-Difluoronitrobenzene

Abstract

A practical and highly regioselective aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction for the substrate 2,4-difluoronitrobenzene is demonstrated with various O/S/N-nucleophiles. Solvent screens substantiate the role of a nonpolar solvent in ortho-selective nucleophilic substitution through a six-membered polar transition state.